Investigation of burnout in a sample of British general practitioners

Abstract

Background: Recent changes in the general practitioner contract have produced increased workload and stress, poorer mental health and reduced job satisfaction. These factors might combine to increase the level of 'burnout' among general practitioners.

Aim: This study set out to examine the extent of burnout among general practitioners.

Method: A questionnaire was sent to all 295 Northamptonshire general practitioners seeking demographic details and including the Maslach burnout inventory. The results for the inventory were compared with the results from a sample of physicians and nurses in North America.

Results: There was a significantly higher level of burnout among the Northamptonshire doctors compared with the North American sample. There was virtually no association between age and the level of burnout, although a small negative correlation was found between age and the depersonalization of others subscale. Part-time general practitioners showed lower levels of burnout than full-time general practitioners.

Conclusion: This study highlights the need to look both at the extent of burnout in young doctors during their training and at those characteristics of part-time general practitioners which might prevent burnout.