[Social support and physicians' health].
OBJECTIVE
Over the last decades, social support (SU) has proved to be an important psychological health resource in the prevention of mental and physical illness as well as for the promotion and restoration of general health. This study evaluates the relevance of social support for the health and well-being of physicians.


METHODS
This is a systematic literature review using PubMed from 1970 to 2007 with the keywords "social support", "physicians", "physician's role", and respectively "medical staff, hospital" from medical subheadings (MeSH). From the retrieved articles the additionally relevant keywords "marriage", "spouse", "friends", and "self-help groups" (MeSH) were identified and researched.


RESULTS
Social support with distinct effects on physician's health could be shown in the areas of colleagues and professional network (30 sources), marriage/spouse (47), friends (3), and support groups (13). Female physicians appeared to seek and profit more from SU than did male physicians. Informal friendships have yet to be evaluated thoroughly.


CONCLUSIONS
In the light of a physician's daily stress, SU appears to be a jeopardized resource that could significantly contribute to the prevention of burnout or other profession-related symptoms or illnesses.
Abteilung Gesundheits- und Verhaltenswissenschaften, Theologische Hochschule Friedensau, An der Ihle 19, 39291 Friedensau. edgar.voltmer@thh-friedensau.de
Edgar
E
Voltmer
Claudia
C
Spahn
D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D033062:Friends / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D012944:Social Support; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology