Burnout and Predictors for Burnout among physicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina - survey and study

Authors

  • Nurka Pranjić Department of Occupational Medicine, Tuzla University School of Medicine, Tuzla

Keywords:

Occupational burnout, Physicians, Working ambient, Organizational environmental at work

Abstract

High rates of professional burnout syndrome have been found among health service professionals. Our objective was to study the prevalence of burnout syndrome among physicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina and to determine its relationship with environmental factors of the working ambient. A total of 700 physicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina were invited to participate (response rate was 73%, No. of respondents=511). Interviewees were given a specifically designed questionnaire, an Occupational stress questionnaire (OSQ) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. A high level of emotional exhaustion was detected in 27%, a high level of depersonalization was found in 23%, and reduced personal accomplishment was found in 29% of physicians. There is a significant level of burnout among physicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina, although comparison with other countries is still favorable. Occupational characteristics and social- demographic variables were significant predictors of burnout. Low level of job satisfaction (OR=2.41, 95% CI=0.29-4.53) and feeling of high level of stress (OR= 2.00, 95% CI=0.08-3.92) were associated with a high level of emotional exhaustion among physician consultants; a feeling of a high level of stress, urgency to get work and “work is mentally strenuous” are risk factors for a higher level of emotional exhaustion among university teaching consultants and general and family medicine practitioners. Personal accomplishment was not related to social demographics and personal factors among clinical specialists and university teaching consultants. Younger age (OR=3.55, 95%CI= 1.19-5.91) and marital status (single versus not single; OR= 1.93, 95% CI=1.06-2.80) are risk factors for emotional exhaustion among general and family medicine practitioners. In view of the results obtained, to reduce professional burnout, the physicians’ organizational environment should be improved.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Freundenberger H. Staff burnout. J Soc Issues. 1974; 30: 159-65.

Houtman ILD, Groudswaard A, Dhondt S, et al. Dutch monitor on stress and physical load: risk factor, consequences, and preventive action. Occup Environ Med. 1998; 55: 73-83.

Maslach C, Leither MP. The truth about burnout. San Fransisco, Calif: Josey-Bass Publishers; 1997:13-15.

McCue JD. The effects of stress on physicians and their medical practice. N Engl J Med. 1982;306:458-63.

Agius RM, Blenkin H, Deary IJ, Zeally HE, Wood RA. Survey of perceived stress and work demands of consultant doctors. Occup Environ Med. 1996; 53: 217-24.

Gunderson L. Physician burnout. Ann Intern Med. 2001; 135 (2): 145-8.

Shanafelt TD, Bradley KA, Wipf JE, Back AC. Burnout and self-reported patient care in internal medicine residency programs. Ann Intern Med. 2002; 136: 358-67. Acta Medica Academica 2006; 35: 66-76 75

Schaufeli WB, Enzmann D. The burnout companion to study, practice: a critical analysis. London: Taylor and Francis; 1998. p. 77-8.

Linn LS, Yager J, Cope D, Leake B. Health status, job satisfaction, job stress, and life satisfaction among academic and clinical faculty. JAMA. 1985;254:2775-82.

Gundersen L. Physician burnout. Ann Intern Med. 2001; 135 (2): 145-8.

Linzer M, Konrad TR, Douglas J, McMurray JE, Pathman DE, Williams ED, et al. Managed care, time pressure, and physician job satisfaction: results from the physician worklife study. J Gen Intern Med. 2000; 15: 441-50.

Cambell DA, Sonnad SS, Eckhauser FE, Cambell KK, Greenfield LJ. Burnout among American surgeons. Surgery. 2001; 130: 696-705.

Deckard GJ, Hicks LL, Hamory BH. The occurrence and distribution of burnout among infectious disease physicians. J Infect Dis. 1992; 165 (2): 224-8.

Jacson SH. The role of stress in anaesthetists’ health and wellbeing. Acta Anesthiol Scan. 1999; 43: 538-602.

World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki: Recommendations guiding medical doctors in biomedical research involving human subjects (database on the Internet), Helsinki: WHO, c1989- (updated 2001 Mart 8) Available from: http:// ww .fda.gov/oc/health/helsinki89.html.

Ljubic B, Hrabac B, Rebac Z. Reform of health insurance in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Croat Med J. 1999; 40:160-5.

Elo AL, Leppänen, Lindström K. Occupational stress-questionnaire: User´s instructions. Helsinki: Finland Institute of Occupational health; 1992.

Maslach C, Jackson SE. Maslach Burnout Inventory. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychology Press; 1986.

Gill-Monte PR. Factorial validity of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-HSS) among Spanish professionals. Rev Saude Publica. 2005; 39 (1): 1-8.

Schaufeli WB, Van Dierendocnck D.UBOS: Utrechts Burnout Schaal - handleiding (UBOS: Utrecht Burnout Scale - manual). Lisse, Nederland’s Swets-Zeitlinger BV.; 2000.

Linzer M, Visser MR, Oort FJ, Smets EM, Mc-Murray JE, deHaes HC. Predicting and preventing physician burnout: results from the United States and Netherlands. Am J Med. 2001; 111: 170-5.

Ramirez AJ, Graham J, Richards Ma, Cull A, Gregory WM. Mental health of hospital consultants: the effects of stress and satisfaction at work. Lancet. 1996; 347: 724-8.

Grassi L, Magnani K. Psychiatric morbidity and burnout in the medical profession: an Italian study of general practitioners and hospital physicians. Psychother Psychosom. 2000; 69: 329-34.

Shanafelt TD, Bradley KA, Wipf JE, Back AL. Burnout and self-reported patient care in an internal medicine residency program. Ann Inntern Med. 2002; 136: 358-67.

Kirwan M, Amstrong D. Investigation of burnout in a sample of British general practitioners. Br J Gen Pract. 1995; 45:259-60.

Visser MR, Smets EM, Oort FJ, deHaes HC. Stress, satisfaction and burnout among Dutch medical specialists. CNAJ. 2003; 168: 271-5.

Goehring C, Gallacchi MB, Künzi B, Bovier P. Psychosocial and professional characteristics of burnout in Swiss primary care practitioners. Swiss Med WKLLY. 2005; 135: 101-8.

Werde CE, Moonsinghe K, Allen W, Gelberg L. Marital and parental satisfaction of married with children. J Gen Intern Med. 1999; 14: 157-65.

Pranjić N, Maleš-Bilić LJ, Beganlić A, Mustajbegović A. Mobbing, stress and work ability index among physicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina. CMJ. 2006; 47:750-8.

Karasek R, Theorell T. Healthy work: Stress, productivity and the reconstruction of working life. New York: Basic Books; 1990.

Leiter MP, Maslach C. The impact of interpersonal environment on burnout and organisational commitment. J Organisational Behaviour. 1988; 9: 297- 308.

Pilowski L, 0’Sullivan G: Mental illness in doctors. BMJ 1989; 298:269.

Golembiewski RT, Munzenrider RF, Stevenson JG. Stress in Organisations: Towards a phase model of burnout. New York: Praeger; 1986.

Edwards JR. A cybernetic theory of stress, coping and well-being in organisations. Academy of Management Review. 1992; 17: 238-74.

Thornton PI. The relation of coping, appraisal and burnout in mental health workers. J Psychology. 1992; 126:261-71.

Deckard G, Meterko M, Field D. Physician burnout: An examination of personal, professional, and organizational relationships. Med Care. 1994; 32:745-54.

Karasek RA. Job demands, job decision latitude and mental strain: implications for job redesign. Adm Sci Q. 1979; 24: 285–307.

Suchman AL. The influence of health care organizations on well-being. West J Med. 2001; 174: 43-7.

Ito JK, Brotheridge CM. An examination of the roles of career uncertainty, flexibility, and control in predicting emotional exhaustion.

Downloads

Published

2012-06-15

How to Cite

Pranjić, N. (2012). Burnout and Predictors for Burnout among physicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina - survey and study. Acta Medica Academica, 35(2), 66–76. Retrieved from https://ama.ba/index.php/ama/article/view/14

Issue

Section

Basic Science