Zsuzsa Gyorffy

Physician Burnout in Hungary A Potential Role for Work—Family Conflict

In a study among Hungarian physicians (N = 420), we tested the hypothesis that compared to men female physicians experience higher work—family conflict (WFC) and consequent burnout. As predicted, female physicians scored significantly higher on the emotional exhaustion subscale of the Maslach Burnout Inventory and significantly more female physicians experienced high levels of emotional exhaustion compared to male physicians. WFC emerged as a significant predictor of burnout (emotional exhaustion and depersonalization). These findings suggest a potential path from WFC to burnout in a scarcely researched population of physicians in a unique cultural setting and provide further data for cross-cultural burnout research.

Work-related stress factors and menstrual pain: a nation-wide representative survey

While imposing research has been conducted with respect to the biological determinants of painful menstruation, little is known about the psychosocial factors, including work-related stress that might influence menstrual pain. We conducted a study in which we aimed to determine besides the prevalence of dysmenorrhoea whether menstrual pain was associated with job control, co-worker social support, job security and dissatisfaction with the job. Data of 2772 working women aged 18–55 years, participants in the Hungarostudy 2002 nation-wide representative survey was analyzed. Binary logistic regression was used to determine the association between work stress factors and menstrual pain. Altogether 15.5% of women reported to experience menstrual pain that limits their daily activity. Low job control, low co-worker social support and low job security were found to be associated with a higher risk for menstrual pain even after controlling for the effect of age, educational attainment, parity status, smoking, body-mass index and treatment for gynecological problems. Job dissatisfaction was also related to dysmenorrhoea, albeit not significantly. The relationship between work-related psychosocial factors and painful menstruation deserves further investigation in order to determine the possible pathways of this association.

Gyakori a magas fokú kiégés a háziorvosok és háziorvosi rezidensek körében

UNLABELLED General practitioners (GPs) play a central role in patient care and are exposed to high levels of work strain and consequent burnout due to the large number of stressful patient-doctor relationships. Despite the high likelihood of burnout among GPs, limited information is available about this topic. AIMS To explore the prevalence of burnout among GPs and residents in Hungary. METHODS Exploratory/descriptive, cross-sectional study with self-administered questionnaires among 453 GPs and 43 residents. To assess burnout, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-GS) was used. To evaluate the level of burnout, mean (+/- SD) scores on the emotional exhaustion, cynicism/depersonalization, and personal accomplishment dimensions of the MBI were determined among male and female GPs and residents. Differences in the level or degree of burnout (high, intermediate and low) in all three burnout dimensions between male and female GPs and residents were examined by independent samples t -test and chi 2 -tests. Socio-demographic antecedents to burnout were assessed by linear regression analyses. RESULTS Residents reported significantly lower cynicism/depersonalization [ t (df): 2.8 (476); p < 0.01] and personal accomplishment [ t (df): 2.0 (485); p < 0.05] compared to GPs. No gender differences were identified in the level of burnout. Significantly more GPs then residents reported high [chi 2 (df) = 5.9 (1); p < 0.05] or intermediate [chi 2 (df) = 4.6 (1); p < 0.05] degree of depersonalization. Emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and low personal accomplishment were reported by around 30%, 60%, and 100% of the physicians, respectively. Being a resident emerged as the strongest negative predictor of depersonalization (beta = -0.09, 95% CI -0.22 - -0.002). CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of burnout is high among GPs, and almost all GPs report low degree of personal accomplishment. Residency emerged as a significant protective correlate of depersonalization. These findings provide further data for cross-cultural burnout research.

High prevalence of job dissatisfaction among female physicians: work-family conflict as a potential stressor

UNLABELLED Due to the family-centric nature of Hungarian society and to the high proportion of women in the medical profession, more female than male physicians may experience work-family conflict. The authors hypothesized that work-family conflict may reduce job satisfaction among female physicians. However, there is limited information about the prevalence of work-family conflict and job dissatisfaction as well as their associations among female physicians. AIMS To explore the prevalence of work-family conflict and its relations to job dissatisfaction among Hungarian physicians. METHODS Cross-sectional study with 219 female and 201 male physicians using self-report questionnaires. RESULTS As hypothesized, female physicians reported significantly higher level of work-family conflict compared to male physicians (3.0 (SD 0.9) vs. 2.6 (SD 0.9); t (df): -3.8 (418); p < 0.001). Furthermore, more female than male physicians experienced work-family conflict often or extremely often [56% vs. 41%, respectively; chi 2 (df) = 9.3 (1); p < 0.01]. Significantly fewer women (55%) than men (66%) reported high levels of job satisfaction [chi 2 (df) = 4.8 (1), p < 0.05]. Similarly, significantly more female physicians (13%) experienced high level of job dissatisfaction compared to men (6%) [chi 2 (df) = 4.7 (1), p < 0.05]. Linear regression analyses showed that work-family conflict predicts job dissatisfaction among female and all physicians (beta = -0.17, 95% CI -0.31 - -0.04 and beta = -0.14, 95% CI -0.22 - -0.04, respectively). CONCLUSIONS These results show that the level and prevalence of work-family conflict experienced by female physicians in Hungary is significantly higher than that among male physicians. Furthermore, these findings suggest that work-family conflict as a stressor may contribute to the development of job dissatisfaction and hence may adversely impact the well-being of female and male physicians and consequently the quality of patient care.

[Frequent high-level burnout among general practitioners and residents].

UNLABELLED General practitioners (GPs) play a central role in patient care and are exposed to high levels of work strain and consequent burnout due to the large number of stressful patient-doctor relationships. Despite the high likelihood of burnout among GPs, limited information is available about this topic. AIMS To explore the prevalence of burnout among GPs and residents in Hungary. METHODS Exploratory/descriptive, cross-sectional study with self-administered questionnaires among 453 GPs and 43 residents. To assess burnout, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-GS) was used. To evaluate the level of burnout, mean (+/- SD) scores on the emotional exhaustion, cynicism/depersonalization, and personal accomplishment dimensions of the MBI were determined among male and female GPs and residents. Differences in the level or degree of burnout (high, intermediate and low) in all three burnout dimensions between male and female GPs and residents were examined by independent samples t -test and chi 2 -tests. Socio-demographic antecedents to burnout were assessed by linear regression analyses. RESULTS Residents reported significantly lower cynicism/depersonalization [ t (df): 2.8 (476); p < 0.01] and personal accomplishment [ t (df): 2.0 (485); p < 0.05] compared to GPs. No gender differences were identified in the level of burnout. Significantly more GPs then residents reported high [chi 2 (df) = 5.9 (1); p < 0.05] or intermediate [chi 2 (df) = 4.6 (1); p < 0.05] degree of depersonalization. Emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and low personal accomplishment were reported by around 30%, 60%, and 100% of the physicians, respectively. Being a resident emerged as the strongest negative predictor of depersonalization (beta = -0.09, 95% CI -0.22 - -0.002). CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of burnout is high among GPs, and almost all GPs report low degree of personal accomplishment. Residency emerged as a significant protective correlate of depersonalization. These findings provide further data for cross-cultural burnout research.