Abstract
BackgroundPsychiatry has been consistently shown to be a profession characterised by ‘high-burnout’; however, no nationwide surveys on this topic have been conducted in Japan.AimsThe objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of burnout and to ascertain the relationship between work environment satisfaction, work-life balance satisfaction and burnout among psychiatrists working in medical schools in Japan.MethodWe mailed anonymous questionnaires to all 80 psychiatry departments in medical schools throughout Japan. Work-life satisfaction, work-environment satisfaction and social support assessments, as well as the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), were used.ResultsSixty psychiatric departments (75.0%) responded, and 704 psychiatrists provided answers to the assessments and MBI. Half of the respondents (n = 311, 46.0%) experienced difficulty with their work-life balance. Based on the responses to the MBI, 21.0% of the respondents had a high level of emotional exhaustion, 12.0% had a high level of depersonalisation, and 72.0% had a low level of personal accomplishment. Receiving little support, experiencing difficulty with work-life balance, and having less work-environment satisfaction were significantly associated with higher emotional exhaustion. A higher number of nights worked per month was significantly associated with higher depersonalisation.ConclusionsA low level of personal accomplishment was quite prevalent among Japanese psychiatrists compared with the results of previous studies. Poor work-life balance was related to burnout, and social support was noted to mitigate the impact of burnout.
Highlights
Burnout is the feeling of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that is caused by long-term involvement in situations that are emotionally damaging [1]
Based on the responses to the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), 21.0% of the respondents had a high level of emotional exhaustion, 12.0% had a high level of depersonalisation, and 72.0% had a low level of personal accomplishment
Poor work-life balance was related to burnout, and social support was noted to mitigate the impact of burnout
Summary
Burnout is the feeling of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that is caused by long-term involvement in situations that are emotionally damaging [1]. Professionals caring for people with long-term and serious illnesses are frequently exposed to distressing emotional situations and profound suffering, which can lead to burnout. Maslach et al [2] described burnout as the point at which important, meaningful, and challenging work becomes unpleasant, unfulfilling, and meaningless. At this point, energy turns into exhaustion, involvement leads to cynicism, and efficacy is replaced by ineffectiveness. Psychiatrists are at higher risk for mental illness, burnout and suicide compared with other health professionals [3,4,5]. Psychiatry has been consistently shown to be a profession characterised by ‘high-burnout’; no nationwide surveys on this topic have been conducted in Japan
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