Nationwide Survey of Work Environment, Work-Life Balance and Burnout among Psychiatrists in Japan

Abstract

BackgroundPsychiatry has been consistently shown to be a profession characterised by ‘high-burnout’; however, no nationwide surveys on this topic have been conducted in Japan.AimsThe objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of burnout and to ascertain the relationship between work environment satisfaction, work-life balance satisfaction and burnout among psychiatrists working in medical schools in Japan.MethodWe mailed anonymous questionnaires to all 80 psychiatry departments in medical schools throughout Japan. Work-life satisfaction, work-environment satisfaction and social support assessments, as well as the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), were used.ResultsSixty psychiatric departments (75.0%) responded, and 704 psychiatrists provided answers to the assessments and MBI. Half of the respondents (n = 311, 46.0%) experienced difficulty with their work-life balance. Based on the responses to the MBI, 21.0% of the respondents had a high level of emotional exhaustion, 12.0% had a high level of depersonalisation, and 72.0% had a low level of personal accomplishment. Receiving little support, experiencing difficulty with work-life balance, and having less work-environment satisfaction were significantly associated with higher emotional exhaustion. A higher number of nights worked per month was significantly associated with higher depersonalisation.ConclusionsA low level of personal accomplishment was quite prevalent among Japanese psychiatrists compared with the results of previous studies. Poor work-life balance was related to burnout, and social support was noted to mitigate the impact of burnout.

Prevalence and Correlates of Psychological Symptoms in Chinese Doctors as Measured with the SCL‐90‐R: A Meta‐Analysis

“…In our study, psychiatrists suffered from depression, burnout, and anxiety more often than other doctors. Low social support is a major predictor of occupational stress in doctors and nurses (Wu, Ge, Sun, Wang, & Wang, 2011;Wu, Zhao, Wang, & Wang, 2010); particularly in psychiatrists, high levels of social support are most strongly associated with low levels of poor mental health (Umene-Nakano et al, 2013). Receiving social support for work-related problems reduces work-related exhaustion and increases mental energy in psychiatrists (Shailesh, Simon, Gaelle, Jesse, & Etuini, 2011).…”

Burnout of Long-term Care Facility Employees: Relationship with Employees' Expressed Emotion Toward Patients

“…High burnout is defined as an emotional exhaustion score of 27 points or higher, depersonalization score of 10 points or higher, and personal accomplishment score of 33 points or lower 12 . The reliability and validity of the Japanese version of Maslach Burnout Inventory have been proven in several references 10,13,14 .…”

Quality of Work Life Factors for Mental Health Therapists Providing Neurofeedback

“…If the current study utilized the same term found in the research literature, then the variable name is typed in bold without brackets. QWL has been connected to job performance (techniques), turnover, interpersonal skill commitment (commitment), client adherence (dropouts), client outcomes (successful outcomes), work schedules (monthly NFB sessions), career satisfaction (years of NFB experience), and burnout (Bragard, Dupuis, Razavi, Reynaert, & Etienne, 2012;Erdogan, Bauer, Truxillo, & Mansfield, 2012;Firth-Cozens, 2001;Larson, Ryan, & Baerentzen, 2010;Larson, Cothran, Drandorff, Morgan, & Ryan, 2012;Maslach, Schaufeli, & Leiter, 2001;Page & Vella-Brodrick, 2012;Sirgy, Reilly, Wu, & Efraty, 2008;Umene-Nakano et al, 2013). The current paper investigates calmness, confidence, observant, realistic, and optimistic because practitioners reported the importance of these traits within NFB settings (Larson, Ryan, & Baerentzen, 2010;Larson et al 2012).…”

“…Research has demonstrated that limited resources, increased role diffusion, increased work demands, burnout, work schedules, reduced employee support, and work stress negatively impact Quality of Work Life (QWL) (Bragard, Dupuis, Razavi, Reynaert, & Etienne, 2012;Maslach, Schaufeli, & Leiter, 2001;Sirgy, Reilly, Wu, & Efraty, 2008;Umene-Nakano et al, 2013). A systematic literature review revealed that career satisfaction, job performance, organizational commitment, quality of work life, and turnover intentions are related to life satisfaction (Erdogan, Bauer, Truxillo, & Mansfield, 2012).…”