How can educators support general practice (GP) trainees to develop resilience to prevent burnout?
BACKGROUND
Burnout impacts adversely on professional and personal life, and holds implications for patient care. Current research on burnout mainly focuses on established general practitioners but it is unclear how early the signs of burnout really start. This work seeks to identify whether specific GP trainee groups are particularly at risk of burnout and the aspects of training they find stressful.


METHODS
A longitudinal cohort study, collecting qualitative and quantitative data through a single mode of data collection (questionnaire) took place with trainees from all GP training years (ST1-3), across a vocational training scheme (n = 48). Data gathered included the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI).


RESULTS
Higher than anticipated levels of burnout were displayed by all trainees. A sub-group self reporting higher levels of burnout comprised all-female, UK-trained-at-undergraduate GP trainees, with a partner but no children. Top reported stressors included knowledge/uncertainty, workload/time pressures and ePortfolio. Less than 50% of trainees perceived their burnout levels to be as high as their OLBI showing potential lack of insight.


CONCLUSIONS
This research demonstrates that high levels of burnout are experienced in GP trainees as early as the first year of training. Early identification of burnout amongst trainees is essential by GP educators to help protect the future GP workforce.
a Wessex School of General Practice, The Centre for Primary Care Education, St James' Hospital , Portsmouth , UK.
Bryony
B
Sales
a Wessex School of General Practice, The Centre for Primary Care Education, St James' Hospital , Portsmouth , UK.
Alexandra
A
Macdonald
a Wessex School of General Practice, The Centre for Primary Care Education, St James' Hospital , Portsmouth , UK.|b Faculty of Health and Social Care , University of Winchester , Winchester , UK.
Samantha
S
Scallan
a Wessex School of General Practice, The Centre for Primary Care Education, St James' Hospital , Portsmouth , UK.
Sue
S
Crane
D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D058005:General Practitioners / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom; D016526:Workload
General practice trainee; burnout; general practice educator; resilience; support