Abstract
Burnout is a complex syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and low personal accomplishment. A variety of measurement tools have been used to quantify burnout within the medical profession. Collective drivers of physician burnout have been identified related to autonomy, workload, meaning in work, and work-life integration. The experience of burnout has negative personal and professional consequences for physicians, as well as negative consequences for patients and institutions. This occupational hazard is experienced by a multitude of physicians across specialties and throughout the career trajectory at increased rates compared to the non-physician population. Burnout is preventable and reversible. Both physician-directed and systemic or organization-directed interventions are necessary to reduce physician burnout and promote engagement.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Maslach C, Leiter MP. Understanding the burnout experience: recent research and its implications for psychiatry. World Psychiatry. 2016;15(2):103–11.
Rotstein S, Hudaib AR, Facey A, Kulkarni J. Psychiatrist burnout: a meta-analysis of Maslach Burnout Inventory means. Australas Psychiatry. 2019;27(3):249–54.
Kaschka WP, Korczak D, Broich K. Burnout: a fashionable diagnosis. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2011;108(46):781–7. (1866-0452 (Electronic)).
Shanafelt TD, Boone S, Tan L, Dyrbye LN, Sotile W, Satele D, et al. Burnout and satisfaction with work-life balance among US physicians relative to the general US population. Arch Intern Med. 2012;172(18):1377–85.
Maslach C, Jackson SE, Leiter MP, Schaufeli WB, Schwab RL. Maslach burnout inventory. Palo Alto: Consulting Psychologists Press; 1986.
Korkeila JA, Toyry S, Kumpulainen K, Toivola JM, Rasanen K, Kalimo R. Burnout and self-perceived health among Finnish psychiatrists and child psychiatrists: a national survey. Scand J Public Health. 2003;31(2):85–91.
Maslach CJ, Jackson SE, Leiter MP. Maslach burnout inventory manual. Palo Alto: Consulting Psychologist Press; 1996.
Shanafelt TD, Sloan JA, Habermann TM. The well-being of physicians. Am J Med. 2003;114(6):513–9. (0002-9343 (Print)).
Shanafelt TD, Hasan O, Dyrbye LN, Sinsky C, Satele D, Sloan J, et al. Changes in burnout and satisfaction with work-life balance in physicians and the general US working population between 2011 and 2014. Mayo Clin Proc. 2015;90(12):1600–13. (1942-5546 (Electronic)).
Messias E, Flynn V. The tired, retired, and recovered physician: professional burnout versus major depressive disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 2018;175(8):716–9. (1535-7228 (Electronic)).
Joiner TE Jr. Contagious depression: existence, specificity to depressed symptoms, and the role of reassurance seeking. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1994;67(2):287–96.
Garcia HA, McGeary CA, Finley EP, McGeary DD, Ketchum NS, Peterson AL. The influence of trauma and patient characteristics on provider burnout in VA post-traumatic stress disorder specialty programmes. Psychol Psychother. 2016;89(1):66–81.
Walton HJ. Personality correlates of a career interest in psychiatry. Br J Psychiatry. 1969;115(519):211–9.
Dyrbye LN, West CP, Shanafelt TD. Defining burnout as a dichotomous variable. J Gen Intern Med. 2009;24(3):440. (1525-1497 (Electronic)).
Bressi C, Porcellana M, Gambini O, Madia L, Muffatti R, Peirone A, et al. Burnout among psychiatrists in Milan: a multicenter survey. Psychiatr Serv. 2009;60(7):985–8.
Rotenstein LS, Torre M, Ramos MA, Rosales RC, Guille C, Sen S, et al. Prevalence of burnout among physicians: a systematic review. JAMA. 2018;320(11):1131–50.
Medscape National Physician Burnout, Depression & Suicide Report 2019. 2019. Available from: https://www.medscape.com/slideshow/2019-lifestyle-burnout-depression-6011056.
Patel RS, Bachu R, Adikey A, Malik M, Shah M. Factors related to physician burnout and its consequences: a review. Behav Sci (Basel). 2018;8(11):98.
Maslach C, Schaufeli WB, Leiter MP. Job burnout. Annu Rev Psychol. 2001;52(1):397–422.
Shanafelt TD, Gradishar WJ, Kosty M, Satele D, Chew H, Horn L, Clark B, et al. Burnout and career satisfaction among US oncologists. J Clin Oncol. 2014;32(7):678–86. (1527-7755 (Electronic)).
Allegra CJ, Hall R, Yothers G. Prevalence of burnout in the U.S. oncology community: results of a 2003 survey. J Oncol Pract. 2005;1(4):140–7. (1554-7477 (Print)).
Banerjee S, Califano R, Corral J, de Azambuja E, De Mattos-Arruda L, Guarneri V, et al. Professional burnout in European young oncologists: results of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Young Oncologists Committee Burnout Survey. Ann Oncol. 2017;28(7):1590–6.
Asai M, Morita T, Akechi T, Sugawara Y, Fujimori M, Akizuki N, Nakano T, et al. Burnout and psychiatric morbidity among physicians engaged in end-of-life care for cancer patients: a cross-sectional nationwide survey in Japan. Psychooncology. 2007;16(5):421–8. (1057-9249 (Print)).
Dréano-Hartz S, Rhondali WA-O, Ledoux M, Ruer M, Berthiller J, Schott AM, et al. Burnout among physicians in palliative care: impact of clinical settings. Palliat support care. 2016;14(4):402–10. (1478-9523 (Electronic)).
Ramirez AJ, Graham J, Richards MA, Cull A, Gregory WM, Leaning MS, Snashall DC, et al. Burnout and psychiatric disorder among cancer clinicians. Br J Cancer. 1995;71(6):1263–9. (0007-0920 (Print)).
Roberts DL, Shanafelt TD, Dyrbye LN, West CP. A national comparison of burnout and work-life balance among internal medicine hospitalists and outpatient general internists. J Hosp Med. 2014;9(3):176–81.
Glasheen JJ, Misky GJ, Reid MB, Harrison RA, Sharpe B, Auerbach A. Career satisfaction and burnout in academic hospital medicine. Arch Intern Med. 2011;171(8):782–5. (1538-3679 (Electronic)).
Shanafelt TD, Balch CM, Bechamps GJ, Russell T, Dyrbye L, Satele D, Collicott P, et al. Burnout and career satisfaction among American surgeons. Ann Surg. 2009;250(3):463–71. (1528-1140 (Electronic)).
Guest RS, Baser R, Li Y, Scardino PT, Brown AE, Kissane DW. Cancer surgeons’ distress and well-being, I: the tension between a culture of productivity and the need for self-care. Ann Surg Oncol. 2011;18(5):1229–35.
Kuhn G, Goldberg R, Compton S. Tolerance for uncertainty, burnout, and satisfaction with the career of emergency medicine. Ann Emerg Med. 2009;54(1):106–113.e6. (1097-6760 (Electronic)).
Ben-Itzhak S, Dvash J, Maor M, Rosenberg N, Halpern P. Sense of meaning as a predictor of burnout in emergency physicians in Israel: a national survey. Clin Exp Emerg Med. 2015;2(4):217–25. (2383-4625 (Print)).
Lin M, Battaglioli N, Melamed M, Mott SE, Chung AS, Robinson DW. High prevalence of burnout among US emergency medicine residents: results from the 2017 National Emergency Medicine Wellness Survey. Ann Emerg Med. 2019;74:682–90. (1097-6760 (Electronic)).
Anderson A, West SG. Violence against mental health professionals: when the treater becomes the victim. Innov Clin Neurosci. 2011;8(3):34–9.
Alexander DA, Klein S, Gray NM, Dewar IG, Eagles JM. Suicide by patients: questionnaire study of its effect on consultant psychiatrists. BMJ. 2000;320(7249):1571–4.
Hartzband P, Groopman J. Physician burnout, interrupted. N Engl J Med. 2020;382(26):2485–7.
Morgantini LA-O, Naha U, Wang H, Francavilla SA-OX, Acar Ö, Flores JM, et al. Factors contributing to healthcare professional burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic: a rapid turnaround global survey. PLoS One. 2020;15(9):e0238217. (1932-6203 (Electronic)).
Shanafelt TD, Noseworthy JH. Executive leadership and physician Well-being: nine organizational strategies to promote engagement and reduce burnout. Mayo Clin Proc. 2017;92(1):129–46.
Panagioti M, Panagopoulou E, Bower P, Lewith G, Kontopantelis E, Chew-Graham C, et al. Controlled interventions to reduce burnout in physicians: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Intern Med. 2017;177(2):195–205.
Russi M, Buchta WG, Swift M, Budnick LD, Hodgson MJ, Berube D, Kelafant GA, et al. Guidance for occupational health services in medical centers. J Occup Environ Med. 2009;51(11):1e–18e. (1536-5948 (Electronic)).
Swensen SJ, Shanafelt T. An organizational framework to reduce professional burnout and bring back joy in practice. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf. 2017;43(6):308–13.
Bodenheimer T, Sinsky C. From triple to quadruple aim: care of the patient requires care of the provider. Ann Fam Med. 2014;12(6):573.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2022 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Riches, J., Nanni, M.G., Folesani, F., Guest, R. (2022). Burnout in Medicine. In: Grassi, L., McFarland, D., Riba, M.B. (eds) Depression, Burnout and Suicide in Physicians . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-84785-2_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-84785-2_3
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-84784-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-84785-2
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)