Awareness of Meaning in Life is Protective Against Burnout Among Family Physicians: A CERA Study

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Burnout is considered a public health crisis among physicians and is related to poor quality of life, increased medical errors, and lower patient satisfaction. A recent literature review and conceptual model suggest that awareness of life meaning, or meaning salience, is related to improved stress and coping, and may also reduce experience of burnout. This study examined associations among meaning salience, burnout, fatigue, and quality of life among family medicine residency program directors. Methods: Data were collected via an online survey administered by the Council of Academic Family Medicine (CAFM) Educational Research Alliance (CERA; n=268, response rate of 45.4%) in December 2018. Program directors completed measures of meaning salience, burnout, fatigue, and quality of life. Data were analyzed using Spearman correlations and path analysis. Results: Program directors who reported greater experienced meaning salience also reported significantly less burnout (β=-.40, P<.001) and less fatigue (β=-.38, P<.001), which were then both significantly associated with greater quality of life (Ps<.001). Program directors who reported greater meaning salience also reported greater quality of life (β=.21, P<.001). Additionally, there were significant indirect associations between meaning salience and quality of life through less burnout and fatigue (β=.26, P<.001). Conclusions: The potential for increasing physicians’ awareness of their sense of meaning as a means to prevent or decrease burnout is underresearched and warrants further study. Both preventive measures (eg, wellness curricula) and interventions with already-distressed physicians may encourage regular reflection on meaning in life, especially during busy workdays.

Burnout Syndrome in Relation to the Sensitivity of Nurses, Teachers and Social Workers

“…It seems that a firm belief in the meaning of life is useful and beneficial in alleviating the negative work aspects that can lead to burnout in the helping professions. These results are consistent with the findings of several previous studies by Loonstra et al (2009) Hooker et al (2020) and also with clinical observations of Pines (2002). The present study supports the results of these cited studies and confirms the established hypothesis.…”

Mental health in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal examination of the ameliorating effect of meaning salience

“…Preliminary findings suggest that bringing awareness to one's meaning in life can directly impact perceptions of quality of life (Hooker, Masters, Vagnini, & Rush, 2020a), and self-esteem (Taubman-Ben-Ari, 2011). Increased meaning salience also relates to increased motivation for participation in physical activity and decreased sensations of burnout and fatigue in doctors (Hooker, Post, & Sherman, 2020b). Furthermore, when meaning is salient it appears to decrease negative mental health outcomes such as depression and anxiety (Edwards & Van Tongeren, 2020) while increasing positive affect and one's ability to cope with stressors (Miao & Gan, 2019).…”

“…Meaning salience is defined as an awareness of the meaning in one's life (Hooker, Post, & Sherman, 2020b). Preliminary findings suggest that bringing awareness to one's meaning in life can directly impact perceptions of quality of life (Hooker, Masters, Vagnini, & Rush, 2020a), and self-esteem (Taubman-Ben-Ari, 2011).…”

“…Studies have subsequently touted the benefits and ease of increasing meaning salience (Burrow & Hill, 2013;King, Hicks, Krull, & Del Gaiso, 2006;Masters, Ross, Hooker, & Wooldridge, 2018). In all, research suggests that making meaning salient relates to meaning in life and has potential advantages for mental health (Hooker, Post, & Sherman, 2020b). Together, this points to meaning salience as a promising way to alleviate suffering during times of isolation.…”

Burnout

“…In this issue of Family Medicine, we feature a paper by Stephanie Hooker, PhD, MPH, and colleagues that addresses professional burnout among family medicine residency directors. 5 Hooker and colleagues take an interesting approach to this problem by seeking a correlation between burnout and meaning salience, a concept defined as having a life purpose as measured by a validated survey tool called the "Thoughts of Meaning Scale." The study is interesting and adds new information to our existing knowledge, but it has two major weaknesses, both of which are acknowledged by the authors.…”