»Physician-Specific Symptoms of Burnout Compared to a Non-Physicians Group«
Burnout among doctors is a systemic problem in health care, with a high prevalence and a negative impact on professional functioning and individual well-being. Research has looked into the unique aspects of the physician role that contribute to the development of burnout, but it is still unclear whether burnout manifests differently in physicians compared to the non-physician working population. To answer this question, a recent study conducted an individual symptom analysis of burnout symptoms, comparing a large sample of physicians with a non-physician group. The results of the study have just been published, and we’re taking a closer look at the findings.
Study Design and Participants
The study was carried out as an online cross-sectional study. Participants self-reported their demographics, and their symptoms of burnout were assessed with the Maslach Burnout Inventory—General Survey (MBI-GS). This was part of an online self-assessment of burnout risk, which was assessable for free online and hosted on a webpage belonging to a private company called Burnout Protector©. Data of participants who used this online assessment between November 2016 and September 2019 were considered for this study. All participants younger than 18 years and older than 70 years were excluded from the analysis. To minimize bias and to include individuals only once, only the data of the first assessment were considered in participants who used the online application more than once. In total, data of 3846 (51.0% women) participants including 641 physicians and 3205 non-physicians were analysed.
Findings
The most pronounced difference between the two groups was that physicians were more satisfied with their work performance (medium effect size (r = 0.343). Furthermore, physicians reported lower levels of personal accomplishment, lower levels of enthusiasm for work, and lower levels of energy compared to the non-physician group.
Conclusion
Our findings indicate minor yet significant differences in burnout phenomenology between physicians and non-physicians. This demonstrates unique aspects of physician burnout and implies that such differences should be considered in occupational research among physicians, particularly when developing burnout prevention programs for physicians.
The significant differences in burnout phenomenology between physicians and non-physicians explained
The study you have mentioned has found that burnout in physicians has been found to have a greater impact on their personal and professional lives compared to burnout in non-physicians. This is due to several factors such as the intense and demanding nature of the medical profession, long working hours, exposure to stressful and traumatic events, and a lack of control over their work environment. Additionally, physician burnout has been linked to increased medical errors, decreased patient satisfaction, and increased healthcare costs. On the other hand, non-physician burnout has been found to be related to factors such as job demands, lack of control, and poor social support. Overall, the study highlights the need for effective burnout prevention and intervention programs to address the unique stressors faced by physicians and non-physicians in the workplace.