BackgroundGeneral practice is stressful and burnout is common among family physicians. A growing body of evidence suggests that the way physicians relate to their patients could be linked to burnout. The goal of this study was to examine how patterns of empathy explained physicians’ burnout.MethodsWe surveyed 294 French general practitioners (response rate 39%), measured burnout, empathic concern (EC) and perspective taking (PT) using self-reported questionnaires, and modeled burnout levels and frequencies with EC, PT and their interaction in linear and logistic regression analyses.ResultsMultivariate linear models for burnout prediction were associated with lower PT (β = −0.21, p < 0.001) and lower EC (β = −0.17, p < 0.05). Interestingly, the interaction (EC x PT) also predicted burnout levels (β = 0.11, p < 0.05). The investigation of interactions revealed that high scores on PT predicted lower levels of burnout independent from EC (odd ratios (OR) 0.37; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.21–0.65 p < 0.001), and high scores on both EC and PT were protective against burnout: OR 0.31; 95% CI 0.15–0.63, p < 0.001).ConclusionsDeficits in PT alone might be a risk factor for burnout, whereas higher PT and EC might be protective. Educators should take into account how the various components of empathy are potentially associated with emotional outcomes in physicians.

High levels of stress in the parenting domain can lead to parental burnout, a condition that has severe consequences for both parents and children. It is not yet clear, however, whether parental burnout varies by culture, and if so, why it might do so. In this study, we examined the prevalence of parental burnout in 42 countries (17,409 parents; 71% mothers; M age = 39.20) and showed that the prevalence of parental burnout varies dramatically across countries. Analyses of cultural values revealed that individualistic cultures, in particular, displayed a noticeably higher prevalence and mean level of parental burnout. Indeed, individualism plays a larger role in parental burnout than either economic inequalities across countries, or any other individual and family characteristic examined so far, including the number and age of children and the number of hours spent with them. These results suggest that cultural values in Western countries may put parents under heightened levels of stress.

The aim of this study was to conduct a comprehensive quantitative synthesis of the effects of 2 mindfulness training interventions on weight-loss and health behaviors in adults with 3 overweight and obesity using meta-analytic techniques. Studies included in the analysis (n = 4 12) were randomized controlled trials investigating the effects of any form of mindfulness 5 training on weight loss, impulsive eating, binge eating, or physical activity participation in 6 adults with overweight and obesity. Random effects meta-analysis revealed that mindfulness 7 training had no significant effect on weight loss, but an overall negative effect on impulsive 8 eating (d = -1.13) and binge eating (d = -.90), and a positive effect on physical activity levels 9 (d = .42). Meta-regression analysis showed that methodological features of included studies 10 accounted for 100% of statistical heterogeneity of the effects of mindfulness training on 11 weight loss (R 2 = 1,00). Among methodological features, the only significant predictor of 12 weight loss was follow-up distance from post-intervention (b = 1.18; p < .05), suggesting that 13 the longer follow-up distances were associated with greater weight loss. Results suggest that 14 mindfulness training has short-term benefits on health-related behaviors. Future studies 15should explore the effectiveness of mindfulness training on long-term post-intervention 16 weight loss in adults with overweight and obesity. 17 18