Abstract
BackgroundHospital physicians have an increased risk for post-traumatic stress caused by work-related trauma. This study examines the frequency of reported traumatic events (TE), post-traumatic stress (PTS) and its possible consequences for the mental state and work ability of physicians at a university hospital.MethodsAs part of the mandatory psychological risk assessment, n = 145 physicians (n = 56 female; 38.6%) were examined at a university hospital in Germany in a cross sectional study. TE, PTS and symptoms of depression and anxiety were assessed using the self-report questionnaires “Freiburger Screening Fragebogen to identify patients at risk for the development of a post-traumatic stress disorder in the group of severely injured patients” (PTBS-13), the “Patient Health Questionnaire” (PHQ-2) and the “Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale” (GAD-2). Work ability was assessed using a modified version of the questionnaire for workplace analysis (KFZA). The response rate was 52%.ResultsTraumatic events were experienced by n = 125 physicians (86.2%) throughout their whole career. Of these, 19 physicians (15.2%) reported PTS. PTS is reported by 12 of 56 female physicians (63.2%), compared to 7 of 89 reports of PTS by male physicians (36.8%). Physicians with PTS symptoms had higher depression scores (p = 0.007) compared to physicians without TE or with TE, but without PTS. Physicians with PTS reported significantly reduced work ability caused by constantly interrupted work (p = 0.03). Female gender was the greatest risk factor for the development of PTS. (p = 0.001).ConclusionsPhysicians – especially females – with PTS may have an increased risk of developing depressive symptoms. Therefore, interventions aimed at reducing trauma-related stress symptoms may be helpful in improving mental health of hospital physicians. Further studies with more physicians from different hospitals are necessary to support the results.
Highlights
The implementation of psychological risk assessment has been a legal obligation for all German companies since 2013 [4]
In addition to the impact of job strain on mental health, several studies show that the exposure to work-related critical incidents such as moribund patients or violence may cause symptoms of traumatic stress or a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) [6, 18, 51]
Traumatic events and its influence on depression and anxiety Traumatic events (TE) were reported by 128 physicians (88.3%), of whom 19 (13.1%) reported traumatic events (TE) followed by recurring memories and/or flashbacks (Table 1)
Summary
The implementation of psychological risk assessment has been a legal obligation for all German companies since 2013 [4]. A psychological risk assessment can include job strain factors like workload, time pressure, Bock et al BMC Psychiatry (2022) 22:85. In addition to the impact of job strain on mental health, several studies show that the exposure to work-related critical incidents such as moribund patients or violence may cause symptoms of traumatic stress or a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) [6, 18, 51]. According to Van Eerd et al [48], many occupations, including those of health care professionals, lead to exposures which could be associated with PTSD. Hospital physicians have an increased risk for post-traumatic stress caused by work-related trauma. This study examines the frequency of reported traumatic events (TE), post-traumatic stress (PTS) and its possible consequences for the mental state and work ability of physicians at a university hospital
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
