title: Workload, mental health and burnout indicators among female physicians.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Female doctors in Hungary have worse indicators of physical and mental health compared with other professional women. We aimed to cast light on possible indicators of mental health, workload, and burnout of female physicians.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two time-points (T) were compared, in 2003 (T1 n = 408) and 2013 (T2 n = 2414), based on two nationally representative surveys of female doctors, and comparison made with data from other professional control groups. Independent samples t test or chi-squared test was used both for the two time-point comparison and the comparison between the index and the control groups. The background factors of sleep disorders and burnout were assessed by binary logistic regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences in the rates of depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts and attempts were detected between the 2003 and 2013 cohorts, but the prevalence of sleep disorders increased. The workload increased, and there was less job satisfaction in 2013 than in 2003, coupled to more stressful or difficult work-related situations. The personal accomplishment component of burnout significantly decreased in line with the declining work-related satisfaction. Compared to the professional control groups, the prevalence of depressive symptoms, suicide attempts, and sleep disorders was higher among female physicians at both time-points. The number of workplaces, frequency of work-related stressful situations, and intensive role conflict was associated with sleep disorders and decreased personal accomplishment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In comparison with the other professional groups, female doctors had worse mental health indicators with regard to depression, suicidal ideas, and sleep disorders both in 2003 and 2013 while within professional strata the changes seemed to be less. Increasing workload had a clear impact on sleep disorders and the personal accomplishment dimension of burnout.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Semmelweis University, Nagyvárad square 4, Budapest, H-1089, Hungary. gyorffy@chello.hu.
authors.forename: Zsuzsa
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Győrffy
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Szeged, Semmelweis st. 1, Szeged, H-6725, Hungary.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dweik
authors.affiliation: Health Services Management Training Centre, Semmelweis University, Kútvölgyi st 2, Budapest, H-1125, Hungary.
authors.forename: Edmond
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Girasek
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D000328:Adult; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000209:etiology*; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D016015:Logistic Models; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D010822:Physicians, Women / Q000523:psychology*; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology*; D013405:Suicide; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016526:Workload
keywords: Burnout; Female physicians; Mental health; Sleep disorders; Workload