Burnout among psychiatrists in Milan: a multicenter survey.
OBJECTIVE
This study evaluated the prevalence of job burnout and estimated psychiatric morbidity and job satisfaction among psychiatrists in Milan. Also investigated were the contributions of personal and environmental factors to burnout.


METHODS
Data were gathered via a cross-sectional, descriptive, multicenter survey. All psychiatrists working in departments of psychiatry within the Italian Public Health System in Milan were invited to participate, and an overall response rate of 70% (N=81) was achieved. The Maslach Burnout Inventory, the 12-item General Health Questionnaire, a job satisfaction measure, and a study-specific questionnaire were used in the assessments.


RESULTS
Psychiatrists showed high levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Main sources of stress were related to work environment. According to regression models, the variable that most predicted burnout was a low level of job satisfaction.


CONCLUSIONS
Data suggested that psychiatrists had higher levels of burnout than other physicians employed in general medical settings and confirmed that job satisfaction could have a protective role.
Bressi
Cinzia
C
Department of Psychiatry, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy. cinzia.bressi@unimi.it
Porcellana
Matteo
M
Gambini
Orsola
O
Madia
Luca
L
Muffatti
Riccardo
R
Peirone
Alberto
A
Zanini
Susanna
S
Erlicher
Arcadio
A
Scarone
Silvio
S
Altamura
A Carlo
AC
D000328:Adult; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003861:Depersonalization / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016526:Workload / Q000523:psychology