This article discusses the effect of three job-related stressors (job ambiguity, need deficiency, work overload) and demographic factors on two measures of work stress (job dissatisfaction and psycho-somatic responses) among a sample of primary school guidance teachers (N =112) in Hong Kong. Four instruments were used to collect data for this study. The results generally indicated that job ambiguity, need deficiency and work overload were consistently and positively correlated with the two measures of job stress and that work overload was most associated with job stress whereas need deficiency was least associated with it. The guidance teachers' demographic factors were found to yield no significant effect on their experience of job stress at work. The practical implications of these findings are explored in regard to promotion of professionalism for guidance teachers in Hong Kong. Consideration for further studies are also discussed in relation to validation and specification of the findings reported in the study.

Key words: work stress, guidance teachers, Hong Kong