title: Burnout, staff support, and coping in Pediatric Oncology.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goals of the study were the following: (1) to study the rate of burnout of the staff in Pediatric Oncology and compare it with that of a group of staff in other pediatric specialties, (2) to find out if job satisfaction, role clarity, staff support, and ways of coping are related to the burnout of these two groups, and (3) as a secondary aim, to identify other parameters, i.e., profession, experience, having children, etc., which might affect burnout, staff support, and ways of coping.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group (n = 58) consisted of the staff of two Pediatric Oncology units and a Bone Marrow Transplantation unit, and the control group (n = 55) consisted of the staff of two Pediatric departments and one Pediatric Orthopedics department. The Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Staff Support Questionnaire, the Shortened Ways of Coping Questionnaire-Revised, and the Social Readjustment Scale were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No differences were found in burnout between Pediatric Oncology staff and that of other specialties, the existing staff support, and the ways of coping. Decreased role clarity and wishful thinking, as a way of coping, were positively correlated to emotional exhaustion, whereas a negative correlation of the lack of role clarity existed with personal accomplishment. Not having children and less experience increased burnout in both groups studied.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The hospital management and the heads of departments should be knowledgeable of ways to prevent burnout in their staff. Strategies targeting role clarity and wishful thinking are useful toward this goal.
authors.affiliation: Child Psychiatry Department, University of Athens Medical School, Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece. M.Liakopoulou@yahoo.gr
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liakopoulou
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Panaretaki
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Papadakis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Katsika
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sarafidou
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Laskari
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Anastasopoulos
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vessalas
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bouhoutsou
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Papaevangelou
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Polychronopoulou
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haidas
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008495:Medical Oncology; D008875:Middle Aged; D016272:Occupational Health; D010372:Pediatrics; D012944:Social Support; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires