Sources of occupational stress for Australian GPs, and their implications for postgraduate training

Following a study of process and outcomes in general practice consultations, we returned to the GP participants and asked them to comment on taped consultations which they had found unsatisfying. Their comments were then analysed for information about sources of occupational stress, coping strategies, and this method of self-monitoring. About two-thirds of the stressors which they described arose from their interaction with the patient, and the rest from sources either internal to the doctor or else external to the particular doctor and consultation. The subjects' comments about their coping techniques, and their acceptance of this method of self-monitoring, in conjunction with the findings about sources of occupational stress provide a basis for planning vocational education in general practice.