title: Development of burnout over time and the causal order of the three dimensions of burnout among male and female GPs. A three-wave panel study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A good understanding of the aetiology and development of burnout facilitates its early recognition, prevention and treatment. Since the prevalence and onset of this health problem is thought to differ between men and women, sex must be taken into account. This study aims to assess the prevalence and development of burnout among General Practitioners (GPs). In this population the prevalence of burnout is high.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a three-wave longitudinal study (2002, 2004, 2006) in a random sample of Dutch GPs. Data were collected by means of self-report questionnaires including the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Our final sample consisted of 212 GPs of which 128 were male. Data were analyzed by means of SPSS and LISREL.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results indicate that about 20% of the GPs is clinically burned out (but still working). For both sexes, burnout decreased after the first wave, but increased again after the second wave. The prevalence of depersonalization is higher among men. With regard to the process of burnout we found that for men burnout is triggered by depersonalization and by emotional exhaustion for women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As regards the developmental process of burnout, we found evidence for the fact that the aetiological process of burnout, that is the causal order of the three burnout dimensions, differs between men and women. These sex differences should be taken into account in vocational training and policy development, especially since general practice is feminizing rapidly.
authors.affiliation: Maastricht University, Researchschool CAPHRI, Department of Social Medicine, Maastricht, The Netherlands. Inge.Houkes@maastrichtuniversity.nl
authors.forename: Inge
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Houkes
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Winants
authors.forename: Mascha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Twellaar
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Verdonk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D058005:General Practitioners; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires