Job refers to an activity or a set of activities performed during a specific period (for example, 8 hours a day) for a specific cost (1). Studies have shown that people with a common job and adequate income are more secure against psychological disorders and especially depression (2). Also, it has been found that depending on their job satisfaction, employed people can have a higher level of efficiency and mental health (3). However, as a job can make a person secure against psychological disorders, it can make him/her vulnerable, too; particularly, when the person’s activity is free of mobility, creativity, social and professional associations, variety, or even with excessive mobility, high pressure, and complicated skills (4). If the job atmosphere imposes mental pressure on the individuals in long term, they will be more probable of being dissatisfied and unwilling to do work.
Job satisfaction is the persons’ feeling about their job (5). Therefore, dissatisfaction means an unfavorable feeling, continuous sadness, excessive tiredness, a sense of incompetency, etc. Job dissatisfaction leads to long-term stress, chronic anxiety, and consequently, increased cortisol level in the blood (6). High cortisol levels in long term can cause depression, psychosomatic symptoms, cardiovascular disorders, digestive disorders, migraine, etc. most of which are considered conversion disorders (7). Job dissatisfaction can also affect family space, friendship, and non-organizational cooperation, etc. So, it can be expanded to various situations (8).
People such as emergency staff and firefighters who have risky jobs are more prone to job dissatisfaction. On the other hand, dissatisfaction levels can vary even in different parts of a system. According to Tavakoli et al. (2018), 61.1% of the Iranian professional nurses reported a medium level of satisfaction, 22.2% of them reported a low level of satisfaction, and 16.7% reported a high level of satisfaction (9). Nourani Sadodin et al. (2016) suggested that 16.4% of midwives in Mashhad had high satisfaction, 59% had moderate satisfaction and 22.1% couldn’t decide and 2.5% were dissatisfaction (10).
Zorec, Rusac, and Ogresta (2008) suggested that the mental healthcare staff report different levels of job satisfaction. However, their satisfaction level has no significant association with their job (11). Wright and Bonett (2007) reported that job satisfaction has the strongest (negative) association with turnover (12). Zaid Al-Hamdan et al. (2017) reported a positive association between the nurses’ job satisfaction and their workplace, and the nurses working in public hospitals reported higher levels of satisfaction compared to the nurses working in educational hospitals. So, there was a positive association between the nurses’ workplace and their intention to stay (13). Pineau et al. (2015) reported a significant association between structural empowerment and perceived staffing adequacy and job satisfaction (14). However, Vlachos and Panagopoulos & Rapp (2013) that in corporate social responsibilities (CSRs), if the employees perceive their manager as a charismatic person, they will have higher job satisfaction and motivation. Charisma also creates a sense of job satisfaction in the leader (15). However, in their systematic review, Kuoppala et al. (2008) reported that management style has no association with job satisfaction, the number of sick leaves, and even disability (16).
(VCT) are treatment and counseling units with the exclusive activity of HIV treatment. These centers have usually few, but high-risk patients. Most of the patients referring to these centers are sex workers, addicts, and antisocial people. So, this environment can endanger the health of the employees and therapists working in these centers. All treatments and services like midwifery services, psychological and psychiatric treatment, social work, education of the disease and etc. is at their disposal and free and there are safe places without stigma and judge for HIV patients.
On the other hand, health centers (HC) have a lot of patients with different emergency or non-emergency conditions. However, despite the infection risk, they are exposed to lower safety threats. Therefore, the question arises as to which one is more satisfied with the situation of counseling centers and clinics. It seems that no research has been done that has examined the satisfaction status of the VCTs and compared their situation with HCs. Therefore, the present research aims to investigate and compare job satisfaction in the employees and therapists working in VCT and HCs in 9 provinces of Iran.