Addressing burnout, job satisfaction and quality of life in paediatricians: a comprehensive multi-dimensional
Alperen Eravsar1, Simay Buse Gülümser1, Elif Poyraz2
1Department of Pediatrics, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Fatih, Istanbul, Turkey.
Insights
Pediatrician burnout is prevalent, affecting over a quarter of those surveyed. High burnout rates correlate with anxiety and lower job satisfaction, necessitating improved support systems for physician well-being.
Area of Science:
- Medical Research
- Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Pediatricians face high burnout risk due to emotional demands, workload, and administrative tasks.
- Burnout significantly impacts physician well-being and career sustainability in pediatrics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate burnout levels among pediatricians across different seniority levels.
- To explore the relationship between burnout, job satisfaction, quality of life, and anxiety in pediatricians.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional, self-report survey design.
- Utilized validated instruments: Maslach Burnout Inventory, Minnesota Job Satisfaction Questionnaire, SF-12 Health Survey, Beck Anxiety Inventory.
- Collected data on sociodemographics, burnout, job satisfaction, quality of life, and anxiety.
Main Results:
- 26.4% of 125 participating pediatricians reported burnout, with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization being most common.
- Clinically verified psychiatric diagnoses (31%) were linked to higher emotional exhaustion.
- Severe anxiety (15%) was highest among fellows and inversely correlated with job satisfaction.
Conclusions:
- Burnout and associated psychosocial factors are significant concerns in pediatrics.
- Findings underscore the need for enhanced institutional support, especially for residents and fellows, to ensure physician well-being and career longevity.
Background:
Paediatricians are particularly vulnerable to burnout due to the emotional intensity of providing healthcare to children, along with heavy workloads and administrative burdens. This study aims to evaluate burnout among paediatricians across different seniority levels and explores its relationship with job satisfaction, quality of life and anxiety.
Methods:
This cross-sectional, self-report survey was designed by an interdisciplinary team. Data on sociodemographics, burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory), job satisfaction (Minnesota Job Satisfaction Questionnaire), quality of life (Short Form-12 Health Survey) and anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory) were collected and analysed.
Results:
125 paediatricians participated, including residents (54.4 %), fellows (22.4 %) and academics (23.2 %). Burnout was identified in 26.4% of participants, with emotional exhaustion (EE) (12%) and depersonalisation (15%) most elevated. Clinically verified psychiatric diagnoses (depression or anxiety) within the last year were reported by 31% of participants and were significantly associated with higher EE. Severe anxiety was found in 15%, most frequently among fellows (53%), and was inversely correlated with job satisfaction. Job satisfaction also showed a moderate negative correlation with EE and a positive correlation with personal accomplishment. Although 95% had voluntarily chosen paediatrics, only 58% would choose it again and 72% would not recommend it to their child.
Conclusions:
Despite the limitations of a cross-sectional, self-reported design-which may involve risks of selection and reporting bias-this study provides important insights into burnout and its psychosocial correlates in paediatrics. Our findings highlight the need to strengthen institutional support systems, particularly for residents and fellows, to safeguard physician well-being and promote sustainable paediatric careers.
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