Prevalence of burnout among Swiss cancer clinicians, paediatricians and general practitioners: who are most at risk?

Goals of work Increasing economical and administrative constraints and changes in health-care systems constitute a risk for burnout, especially for cancer physicians. However, little is known about differences across medical specialties and the importance of work characteristics. Methods A postal qu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Supportive care in cancer 2009, Vol.17 (1), p.75-81
Main Authors: Arigoni, Flavia, Bovier, Patrick A., Mermillod, Bernadette, Waltz, Patricia, Sappino, André-Pascal
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Burnout
Burnout, Professional - epidemiology
Burnout, Professional - psychology
Cancer
Clinical competence
Continuing education
Depersonalization - psychology
Education
Education, Medical, Continuing
Family physicians
Female
Hospitals
Humans
Male
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Mental health
Morbidity
Nursing
Nursing Research
Oncology
Original Article
Pain Medicine
Physicians - psychology
Primary care
Professionals
Questionnaires
Rehabilitation Medicine
Risk Factors
Self esteem
Sociodemographics
Surveys and Questionnaires
Switzerland - epidemiology
Workload - psychology
Workloads
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Summary:Goals of work Increasing economical and administrative constraints and changes in health-care systems constitute a risk for burnout, especially for cancer physicians. However, little is known about differences across medical specialties and the importance of work characteristics. Methods A postal questionnaire addressing burnout, psychiatric morbidity, sociodemographics and work characteristics was administered to 180 cancer physicians, 184 paediatricians and 197 general practitioners in Switzerland. Results A total of 371 (66%) physicians participated in the survey. Overall, one third of the respondents expressed signs indicative of psychiatric morbidity and of burnout, including high levels of emotional exhaustion (33%) and depersonalisation/cynicism (28%) and a reduced feeling of personal accomplishment (20%). Workload (>50 h/week), lack of continuing education (
ISSN:0941-4355
1433-7339
DOI:10.1007/s00520-008-0465-6