Burnout and stress amongst old age psychiatrists.
OBJECTIVE
to investigate the relationship between work patterns, burnout and stress in consultant old age psychiatrists.


METHODS
we sent a postal survey to all old age psychiatrists on the Faculty of Old Age Psychiatry, Royal College of Psychiatrists, list. Participants completed a workload questionnaire, the Stress Checklist and the Maslach Burnout Inventory during a specified week.


RESULTS
burnout scores were unaffected by gender and team working, but old age psychiatrists scoring within the high burnout range were younger, scored highly on stress, spent less time on research, study and audit, and more time travelling. The whole group scored highly on emotional exhaustion.


CONCLUSIONS
job plans should encourage research/study and audit, and cut down travelling. The finding related to age is not fully understood, but suggests consideration of support groups for new consultants and review of whether current training programmes adequately prepare people for work as a consultant.
Benbow
Susan M
SM
Penn Hospital, Consultant in Old Age Psychiatry, Manchester Mental Health Partnership, Manchester, UK. Drsmbenbow@aol.com
Jolley
David J
DJ
D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011570:Psychiatry; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016526:Workload