Some Individual Psychological Predictors of Professional Disadaptation Forming in Surgeons and Physicians

Abstract

Professional work of surgeons and physicians is characterized by high level of emotional stress, lack of time and information, high responsibility for the health and life of patients. Professional disadaptation (PD) is defined as any violation of dynamic balance between the individual and the professional environment. Symptoms of PD include fatigue, exhaustion, psychosomatic disorders, insomnia, negative attitude to work, chemical abuse, overeating, negative professional “self-concept”, aggressive feelings (irritability), depressed mood and related emotions: cynicism, pessimism, hopelessness, apathy, guilt. Some personal characteristics of surgeons and physicians were investigated to evaluate their role in PD forming with the use of Professional disadaptation questionnaire by O.N. Rodina, Subjective level of control questionnaire (SLC), Characterological questionnaire by H. Shmieshek. At first stage 280 physicians, working in public hospitals in Vinnytsya, Ukraine, were surveyed, after that respondents were divided into groups as follows: surgeons with PD symptoms, physicians with PD signs and control group (CG) – doctors without PD signs. Study results indicated that in the professional relations field professionals with PD were more external compared to the CG doctors (p ≤ 0,05). Displacement of the locus of control in professional relationships to the externality area reflects the increased sensitivity and subjective vulnerability in social interaction. Also characterological features of the surveyed doctors were investigated. A positive correlation was found between certain characterological types (cyclothymic, pedantic, epyleptoid) and PD. The study suggests that individual psychological factors, such as locus of control and character, significantly interact with severity of PD in surveyed medical workers.