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[Burn out among French general practitioners]
Pascal Cathébras1, Aurélie Begon, Sylvy Laporte
1Service de médecine interne, hôpital Nord, Saint-Etienne. pascal.cathebras@chu-st-etienne.fr
Presse Medicale (Paris, France : 1983)
|February 3, 2005
Summary
Burn out is a significant issue for general practitioners in France, impacting their quality of life and potentially patient care. High workloads and administrative burdens contribute to emotional exhaustion and thoughts of leaving the profession.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Psychiatry
- General Practice
Context:
- General practitioners in the Loire region, France, face significant occupational stressors.
- Previous research indicates a global rise in physician burnout.
Purpose:
- To assess the prevalence and impact of burnout among general practitioners in the Loire region.
- To identify factors associated with burnout and its consequences.
Summary:
- A survey of 480 general practitioners revealed a 64% response rate (306 replies).
- Burnout dimensions (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, low personal accomplishment) were comparable to other studies.
- High burnout scores were observed in 5% of practitioners, with significant percentages considering retraining (over 50%), reporting excessive drinking (5.5%), using psychotropics (30%), and having suicidal ideation (13%).
- Emotional exhaustion correlated with female sex, heavy workload, desire for retraining, substance use, and suicidal thoughts.
- Practitioners cited organizational/administrative issues (workload, bureaucracy) and relational demands (patient/family expectations) as primary causes.
Impact:
- Burnout significantly impairs the quality of life for affected general practitioners.
- The findings highlight potential negative consequences for patient care quality.
- Addresses the urgent need for interventions to mitigate physician burnout in primary care settings.