Quality of Work Life and Mental Health in Primary Care Physicians

Abstract

The aim of this study was to find the relationship between the perception of Quality of Work Life (QWL) and the mental health of primary care physicians of a public health institution in Guadalajara, Mexico. The study was analytical and was carried out with a universe of 818 doctors from 92 health units and the probability sample of 154 people. In all of them, CVT-GOHISALO and Goldberg GHQ-28 questionnaires were applied in order to measure their perception of QWL and the risk of mental illness respectively. Both instruments were selected because of their high reliability. We measured the satisfaction of the people interviewed for each one of the seven dimensions of CVT-GOHISALO and related to the points assigned to GHQ-28 case or not to consider the case of mental illness. The percentages of dissatisfaction with the QWL were greater than 12% in all dimensions of the instrument, being the highest value of 20.5% dissatisfaction for the job satisfaction dimension. In the classification of the case or not according to the GHQ-28, 22% were considered cases and 78% non-cases. We sought correspondence of satisfaction with the QWL by dimensions and non-case of Goldberg's, as well as dissatisfaction with the QWL and Goldberg's case, finding a clear link between being satisfied and having mental health. All dimensions have a correspondence that goes from 79.7% to 82.3% between satisfaction and non-case, being in all the statistical significance value less than 0.05 For primary care physicians in the studied institution, there is a clear relationship between being satisfied with the QWL and present less risk of mental illness. It is alarming that the medical staff presents high rates of dissatisfaction with the QWL and risk of mental illness. It is necessary to provide preventive programs among health care workers in order to improve their QWL and mental health.