title: Work-home interface stress: an important predictor of emotional exhaustion 15 years into a medical career.
abstract: The importance of work-home interface stress can vary throughout a medical career and between genders. We studied changes in work-home interface stress over 5 yr, and their prediction of emotional exhaustion (main dimension of burn-out), controlled for other variables. A nationwide doctor cohort (NORDOC; n=293) completed questionnaires at 10 and 15 yr after graduation. Changes over the period were examined and predictors of emotional exhaustion analyzed using linear regression. Levels of work-home interface stress declined, whereas emotional exhaustion stayed on the same level. Lack of reduction in work-home interface stress was an independent predictor of emotional exhaustion in year 15 (β=-0.21, p=0.001). Additional independent predictors were reduction in support from colleagues (β=0.11, p=0.04) and emotional exhaustion at baseline (β=0.62, p<0.001). Collegial support was a more important predictor for men than for women. In separate analyses, significant adjusted predictors were lack of reduction in work-home interface stress among women, and reduction of collegial support and lack of reduction in working hours among men. Thus, change in work-home interface stress is a key independent predictor of emotional exhaustion among doctors 15 yr after graduation. Some gender differences in predictors of emotional exhaustion were found.
authors.affiliation: Modum Bad, Norway.
authors.forename: Tuva Kolstad
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Hertzberg
authors.forename: Karin Isaksson
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Rø
authors.forename: Per Jørgen Wiggen
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Vaglum
authors.forename: Torbjørn
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moum
authors.forename: Jan Ole
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Røvik
authors.forename: Tore
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gude
authors.forename: Øivind
authors.initials: Ø
authors.lastname: Ekeberg
authors.forename: Reidar
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tyssen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000209:etiology; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D005222:Mental Fatigue / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*; D013997:Time Factors; D000072358:Work-Life Balance; D016526:Workload / Q000523:psychology