BURNOUT IN EUROPEAN GENERAL PRACTICE AND FAMILY MEDICINE

In: Social behavior and personality: an international journal, Band 35, Heft 8, S. 1149-1150

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare general practitioners/family doctors in different European countries to assess the psychosocial and work-related factors possibly contributing to burnout. The survey included questions on demographic-, work- and lifestyle-related job satisfaction
(Yaman & Ungan, 2002a; Yayli, Yaman, & Yaman, 2003) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (Maslach & Jackson, 1986). Surveys were conducted in 13 European countries (Yaman & Soler, 2002b) with a response rate of 33%. The 1,503 respondents (833 males, 55.4%) had an
average age of 45.6 (22–74) years. 44% scored high for emotional exhaustion, 37% for depersonalization, 31% for low personal accomplishment, with 12% scoring high for all three. High burnout in one or more dimensions was best predicted by a multivariate model
including income, intention to change job (yes 1.89, no 0.82), satisfaction (0.58), increasing alcohol consumption (3.93), and use of psychotropic medication (2.08). High burnout in all dimensions was best predicted by a multivariate model including working weekends (1.77), job satisfaction
(0.38), increasing smoking (2.38) and psychotropic medication use (2.23). Burnout seems to be a common problem in European general practitioners and family doctors. Future research is needed to develop models to describe the phenomenon and to identify causative factors and effective intervention
strategies.