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. 2011 Apr 18:11:240.
doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-11-240.

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

Inge Houkes  1 , Yvonne Winants, Mascha Twellaar, Petra Verdonk
Affiliations

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

Inge Houkes et al. BMC Public Health. .

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.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Overview of three theoretical burnout models.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Response rates at time 1, time 2 and time 3.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The development of the percentage of clinically burned out GPs over time. Norms were deducted from the UBOS manual of Schaufeli and Van Dierendonck [34].
Figure 4
Figure 4
Development of the three burnout dimensions over time.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Cross-lagged panel model for women. Only significant cross-lagged effects are shown, within waves effects are not shown.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Cross-lagged panel model for men. Only significant cross-lagged effects are shown, within waves effects are not shown.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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