Work-related behaviour and experience patterns of physicians compared to other professions

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health Psychology
• Comparative Professional Analysis
• Behavioral Medicine

Background:

• Physicians face unique occupational stressors impacting mental health.
• Understanding profession-specific health risks is crucial for targeted interventions.
• Previous research has not comprehensively compared physicians with other high-stress professions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare health risk factors and resources among physicians and other professional groups.
• To identify specific psychosocial symptoms and impairments prevalent in different occupations.
• To inform the development of tailored workplace health promotion strategies.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional mail surveys were utilized.
• The study included German physicians (n=344), teachers (n=5169), policemen (n=851), prison officers (n=3653), and starting entrepreneurs (n=632).
• The "Work-Related Behaviour and Experience Pattern (AVEM)" questionnaire assessed eleven health-relevant dimensions and four behavior patterns.

Main Results:

• Only 17% of physicians displayed healthy behavior patterns.
• Physicians reported the highest levels of reduced working motivation (43%).
• Physicians and teachers showed the highest scores for resignation and burnout (27%).
• Starting entrepreneurs had the healthiest patterns (45%) but also the highest risk for overexertion (38%).

Conclusions:

• Distinct profession-related psychosocial risk patterns were identified.
• High rates of reduced working motivation in physicians necessitate interventions.
• Improvements in healthcare organization and individual coping strategies are recommended for physicians.