Burnout and psychiatric disorder among cancer clinicians

Burnout and psychiatric disorder among cancer clinicians

The prevalence and causes of 'burnout' and psychiatric disorder among senior oncologists and palliative care specialists have been measured in a national questionnaire-based survey. All consultant non-surgical oncologists in the UK were asked to participate. Sources of work-related stress...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of cancer Vol. 71; no. 6; pp. 1263 - 1269
Main Authors: RAMIREZS, A. J, GRAHAM, J, RICHARDS, M. A, CULL, A, GREGORY, W. M, LEANING, M. S, SNASHALL, D. C, TIMOTHY, A. R
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Basingstoke Nature Publishing Group 01-06-1995
Subjects:
Adult
Analysis of Variance
Biological and medical sciences
Burnout, Professional - epidemiology
Demography
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Illness and personality
Illness, stress and coping
Male
Medical Oncology - education
Medicine
Mental Health
Middle Aged
Palliative Care
Prevalence
Psychology and medicine
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Specialization
Surveys and Questionnaires
United Kingdom
British Isles
Human
Cancerology
Prevalence
Health staff
Physician
Mental disorder
Job satisfaction
Medical specialty
Epidemiology
Public health
Stress
Occupational burnout
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Summary:The prevalence and causes of 'burnout' and psychiatric disorder among senior oncologists and palliative care specialists have been measured in a national questionnaire-based survey. All consultant non-surgical oncologists in the UK were asked to participate. Sources of work-related stress and satisfaction were measured using study-specific questions which were aggregated into factors. Psychiatric disorder was estimated using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. The three components of 'burnout'--emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and low personal accomplishment--were assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Three hundred and ninety-three out of 476 (83%) consultants returned their questionnaires. The estimated prevalence of psychiatric disorder in cancer clinicians was 28%, and this is similar to the rate among British junior house officers. The study group had equivalent levels of emotional exhaustion and low personal accomplishment to those found in American doctors and nurses, but lower levels of depersonalisation. Among cancer clinicians, 'burnout' was more prevalent among clinical oncologists than among medical oncologists and palliative care specialists. Psychiatric disorder was independently associated with the stress of feeling overloaded (P < 0.0001), dealing with treatment toxicity/errors (P < 0.004) and deriving little satisfaction from professional status/esteem (P = 0.002). 'Burnout' was also related to these factors, and in addition was associated with high stress and low satisfaction from dealing with patients, and with low satisfaction from having adequate resources (each at a level of P < or = 0.002). Clinicians who felt insufficiently trained in communication and management skills had significantly higher levels of distress than those who felt sufficiently trained. If 'burnout' and psychiatric disorder among cancer clinicians are to be reduced, increased resources will be required to lessen overload and to improve training in communication and management skills.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
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ISSN:0007-0920
1532-1827
DOI:10.1038/bjc.1995.244