Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of burnout and the level of job satisfaction among New Zealand psychiatrists, and to ascertain relationships between socio-demographic variables, job satisfaction and burnout in the target population.
Method: In phase one of the study a postal survey was mailed out to every practising psychiatrist on record as well as all doctors working in psychiatry without specialist qualifications (MOSS). Three questionnaires were used: a socio-demographic questionnaire, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and a Job Diagnostic Survey (JSS). Regression analysis was performed on returned data sets using socio-demographic characteristics as explanatory variables and score components of the MBI and JDS as the outcome measures.
Results: The results showed that the prevalence of burnout in New Zealand psychiatrists is cause for concern. Two-thirds of all psychiatrists described moderate to severely high levels of emotional exhaustion, with a similar proportion describing low levels of personal accomplishment. Depersonalisation did not appear to be a major problem in the population. Job satisfaction remained relatively high despite the high prevalence of burnout, although there was a relationship between burnout and job satisfaction scores.
Conclusions: This study has demonstrated a high prevalence of burnout and factors associated with it among New Zealand psychiatrists. Further research is needed to ascertain why job satisfaction remains high in the presence of burnout, and factors predisposing to, or protective of, burnout.
Ackerley, G.D., Burnell, J., Holder, D.C. & Kurdek, L.A. (1988) Burnout among licensed psychologists. Professional Psychology — Research & Practice, 19, 624—631.
2.
Cartwright, L.K. (1987) Role montage: life patterns of professional women . Journal of American Medical Women's Association, 42(5), 142—143 and 147—148.
3.
Cumming, J. & Mays, N. (2002) Reform and counter reform: how sustainable is New Zealand's latest health system restructuring? Journal of Health Services Research Policy, 7(suppl), 46—55.
4.
Dawkins, J., Depp, F. & Selzer, N. (1984) Occupational stress in a public mental hospital: the psychiatrists' view. Hospital and Community Psychiatry , 35(1), 56—60.
5.
Deary, I., Agius, R. & Sadler, A. (1996) Personality and stress in consultant psychiatrists . International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 42(2), 112—123.
6.
Draper, R., Galbraith, D. & Frost, B. (1989) Physician recruitment in Ontario provincial psychiatric hospitals. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 34(8), 800—803.
7.
Firth-Cozens, J. & Greenhalgh, J. (1997) Doctors' perceptions of the links between stress and lowered clinical care. Social Science and Medicine, 44(7), 1017—1022.
8.
Fothergill, A., Edwards, D. & Burnard, P. (2004) Stress, burnout, coping and stress management in psychiatrists: findings from a systematic review. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 50(1), 54—65.
9.
Frank, E., McMurray, J.E., Linzer, M. & Elon, L. (1999) Career Satisfaction of US women physicians: results from the Women Physicians' Health Study. Archives of Internal Medicine, 159(13), 1417—1426.
10.
Garfinkel, P.E., Bagby, R.M., Schuller, D.R., Williams, C.C., Dickens, S.E. & Dorian, B. (2001) Predictors of success and satisfaction in the practice of psychiatry: a preliminary follow-up study. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 46(9), 835—840.
11.
Garfinkel, P.E., Bagby, R.M., Schuller, D.R., Dickens, S.E., Schulte, F.S. & Fitzgerald, L. (2004) Gender differences in the practice characteristics and career satisfaction of psychiatrists in Ontario . Academic Psychiatry, 28(4), 310—320.
12.
Golliher, E.M. (1995) The relationship of job satisfaction to level of experience of clinical psychologists and psychiatrists. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: the Sciences & Engineering, 55(8B), 3587.
13.
Green, S.B., Armenakis, A.A., Marber, L.D. & Bedeian, A.G. (1979) An evaluation of the response format and scale structure of the Job Diagnostic Survey. Human Relations, 32, 181—188.
14.
Guthrie, E., Tattan, T., Williams, E., Black, D. & Bacliocotti, H. (1999) Sources of stress, psychological distress and burnout in psychiatrists: comparison of junior doctors, senior registrars and consultants. Psychiatric Bulletin, 23, 207—212.
15.
Hackman, J.R. & Oldham, G.R. (1975) Development of job diagnostic survey. Journal of Applied Psychology, 60, 159—170.
Holloway, F., Szmukler, G. & Carson, J. (2000) Support systems. 1. Introduction. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 6, 226—237.
18.
Jackson, S.E., Turner, J. & Brief, A.P. (1985) Burnout among public service lawyers. Unpublished manuscript, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
19.
Kendell, R.E. & Pearce, A. (1997) Consultant psychiatrists who retired prematurely in 1995 and 1996. Psychiatric Bulletin, 21, 741—745.
20.
Kirchner, J.E. & Owen, R.R. (1996) Choosing a career in psychiatry. American Journal of Psychiatry,153(10), 1372.
21.
Kumar, S., Bhagat, R.N., Ng, B. & Lau, T. ( 2006) Psychiatrists in New Zealand: Are they burning out? Are they satisfied at work? In any case Who cares? Australasian Psychiatry, 14(1), 20—23.
22.
Langsley, D.L. & Robinowitz, C.B. (1979) Psychiatric manpower: an overview. Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 30(11), 749—755.
23.
Lau, T., Kumar, S. & Robinson, E. (2004) A study of psychiatric workforce in New Zealand: profile, recruitment and retention issues. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 38(7), 547—553.
24.
Lazarus, A. (1994) Opportunities for psychiatrists in managed care organizations. Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 45(12), 1206—1210.
Melchior, M.E., Bours, G.J., Schmitz, P. & Wittich, Y. (1997) Burnout in psychiatric nursing: a meta-analysis of related variables. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 4, 193—201.
28.
Moloney, J. & Macdonald, J. (2000) Psychiatric training in New Zealand. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 34(1), 146—153.
29.
Naisberg-Fennig, S., Fennig, S., Keinan, G. & Elizur, A. (1991) Personality characteristics and proneness to burnout: a study among psychiatrists. Stress Medicine, 7, 201—205.
30.
Prosser, D., Johnson, S., Kuipers, E., Szmuckler, G., Bebbington, P. & Thornicroft, G. (1996) Mental health, `burnout' and job satisfaction among hospital and community-based mental health staff . British Journal of Psychiatry, 169(3), 334—337.
31.
Pullan, S.E. & Lorbergs, K.A. (2001) Recruitment and retention: a successful model in forensic psychiatric nursing. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing, 39(9), 18—25.
32.
Ramirez, A.J., Graham, J., Richards, M.A., Cull, A. & Gregory, W.M. (1996) Mental health of hospital consultants: the effects of stress and satisfaction at work. Lancet, 347(9003), 724—728.
33.
Rathod, S., Roy, L., Ramsay, M., Das, M., Birtwistle, J. & Kingdon, D. (2000) A survey of stress in psychiatrists working in the Wessex Region. Psychiatric Bulletin, 24, 133—136.
34.
Rey, J.M., Walter, G. & Giuffrida, M. (2004) Australian psychiatrists today: proud of their profession but stressed and apprehensive about the future. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 38(3), 105—110.
35.
Riggar, T.F., Godley, S.H. & Hafer, M. (1984) Burnout and job satisfaction in rehabilitation administrators and direct service providers. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 27, 151—160.
36.
Roberts, K. & Glick, W. (1981) The job characteristics approach to job design: a critical review. Journal of Applied Psychology, 66, 193—217.
37.
Schulz, R. & Schulz, C. (1988) Management practices, physician autonomy, and satisfaction: evidence from mental health institutions in the Federal Republic of Germany . Medical Care, 26(8), 750—763.
38.
Snibbe, J.R., Radcliffe, T., Weisberger, C., Richards, M. & Kelly, J. (1989) Burnout among primary care physicians and mental health professionals in a managed health care setting. Psychology Report, 65(3:1), 775—780.
39.
Statistics New Zealand (2002) A Changing New Zealand, 2002. Wellington: Statistics New Zealand.
40.
Thommasen, H.V., Lavanchy, M., Connelly, I., Berkowitz, J. & Grzybowski, S. (2001) Mental health, job satisfaction, and intention to relocate: opinions of physicians in rural British Columbia . Canadian Family Physician, 47, 737—744.
41.
Thomsen, S., Soares, J., Nolan, P., Dallender, J. & Arnetz, B. (1999) Feelings of professional fulfilment and exhaustion in mental health personnel: the importance of organisational and individual factors. Psychotherapy Psychosomatics, 68(3), 157—164.
42.
Vaccaro, J.V. & Clark, G.H. Jr (1987) A profile of community mental health centre psychiatrists: results of a national survey. Community Mental Health Journal, 23(4), 282—289.
43.
Zedeck, S., Maslach, C., Mosier, K. & Skitka, L. (1988) Affective response to work and quality of family life: employee and spouse perspectives [Special issue; Work and family: theory, research and applications]. Journal of Social Behaviour and Personality, 3, 135—157.
