General practitioners' views about the need for a stress support service

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• General Practice
• Psychology

Background:

• Workplace stress is a significant concern for general practitioners (GPs).
• Understanding GPs' perspectives on stress support is crucial for developing effective interventions.
• Previous research indicates a need for tailored support services within healthcare professions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess general practitioners' (GPs') views on the necessity of a dedicated stress support service.
• To identify preferred formats and accessibility criteria for such a service.

Main Methods:

• A postal questionnaire survey was distributed to 274 general practitioners (GPs) on Tyneside.
• The survey collected data on GPs' opinions regarding the need for, and desired structure of, a stress support service.
• A response rate of 79.5% was achieved, indicating strong engagement with the survey.

Main Results:

• A significant majority (78.8%) of GPs favored the establishment of a stress support service.
• The most desired service formats included independently accessed counselors and stress management groups.
• Over 90% of respondents believed the service should be available to all doctors, with 65% extending this to all primary healthcare team members.
• Key stressors identified were time/workload, on-call duties, patient expectations, administration, and fear of litigation.

Conclusions:

• There is substantial concern regarding stress levels among Tyneside GPs and significant interest in support services.
• A flexible, multi-faceted approach is necessary to address the diverse needs of GPs.
• Stress support services should be universally accessible to all practitioners, irrespective of current stress levels, and extended to the wider primary healthcare team.