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- Fridner, Ann, et al.
(författare)
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Why don't academic physicians seek needed professional help for psychological distress?
- 2012
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Ingår i: Swiss Medical Weekly. - : SMW Supporting Association. - 1424-7860 .- 1424-3997. ; 142:JULY
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PURPOSE: Suicidal thoughts, burnout and other signs of psychological distress are prevalent among physicians. There are no studies concerning help-seeking for psychological distress among university hospital physicians, who face a particularly challenging, competitive work environment. We compare psychologically-distressed university hospital physicians who have not sought needed help with those who have sought such help. We thereby aim to identify factors that may hinder help-seeking and factors that may trigger seeking help. METHODS: Analysis was performed among university hospital physicians reporting recent suicidal thoughts and/or showing other indications of current psychological illhealth. These distressed physicians were a subgroup (42.7%) from the cross-sectional phase I HOUPE study (Health and Organization among University Hospital Physicians in Europe): 366 from Sweden and 150 from Italy. Having sought professional help for depression or burnout was the outcome variable. Multiple logistic regression was performed with socio-demographic factors as covariates. RESULTS: Altogether 404 (78.3%) of these distressed physicians had never sought professional help for depression/burnout. Physicians who were currently involved in medical research, taking night call, surgical specialists, male, or Italian were least likely to have sought help. Physicians who faced harassment at work or who self-diagnosed and self-treated were more likely to have sought help. CONCLUSION: Very few of these university hospital physicians with signs of psychological distress sought help from a mental-health professional. This has implications for physicians themselves and for patient care, clinical research, and education of future physicians. More study, preferably of interventional design, is warranted concerning help-seeking among these physicians in need.
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| 2. |
- Fridner, Ann, et al.
(författare)
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The pivotal role of work environment for the mental health of female and male physicians
- 2010
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim/Setting: To examine the relationship between the work environment and mental health among 327 female and 402 male Swedish physicians from the HOUPE study (Health and Organization among University Hospital Physicians) and for whom complete data were available. Methods: The work environment was assessed by individual items and by validated scales from the Questionnaire for Psychological and Social Factors at Work (QPS-Nordic). Using the additive General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), MOLBI (exhaustion and disengagement scales) and the Mehan Suicidal Ideation Scale, we constructed a combined outcome variable reflecting mental health as: below the median on the scales and no recent suicidal thoughts. Results: Forty-seven (14.4%) female and seventy-nine (19.7%) male physicians were positive for the outcome variable reflecting mental health. Healthy Work Organization, Work Support in Tough Situations and Control over Workpace each showed significant associations being positive for the outcome variable. This was the case for both the female and male physicians, after adjusting for non-significant covariates: age, number of children and civil status. Male physicians had more control over their workpace than females (p < 0.0001). Factors significantly, inversely associated with the outcome variable included role conflict, recent degrading experiences, performing tasks in conflict with personal values, having night call duty, and work demands interfere with family life (both genders), and for the male physicians only, home demands interfering with work. Conclusions: For these female and male physicians, the work environment plays a pivotal role in mental health, and therefore merits much more attention than it has heretofore received.
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| 3. |
- Gustafsson Sendén, Marie, et al.
(författare)
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What makes physicians go to work while sick : A comparative STUDY of Sickness presenteeism in four European countries (HOUPE)
- 2013
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Ingår i: Swiss Medical Weekly. - : SMW Supporting Association. - 1424-7860 .- 1424-3997. ; 143
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- QUESTIONS UNDER STUDY: Sickness presenteeism is common in the health sector, especially among physicians, leading to high costs in terms of medical errors and loss in productivity. This study investigates predictors of sickness presenteeism in university hospitals, which might be especially exposed to competitive presenteeism. The study included comparisons of university hospitals in four European countries. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey analysis of factors related to sickness behaviour and work patterns in the field of academic medicine was performed among permanently employed physicians from the HOUPE (Health and Organisation among University Physicians Europe) study: (Sweden n = 1,031, Norway n= 354, Iceland n = 242, Italy n = 369). The outcome measure was sickness presenteeism. RESULTS: Sickness presence was more common among Italian physicians (86%) compared with physicians in other countries (70%-76%). Country-stratified analyses showed that sickness presenteeism was associated with sickness behaviour and role conflicts in all countries. Competition in the form of publishing articles was a predictor in Italy and Sweden. Organisational care for physician well-being reduced sickness presenteeism in all countries. CONCLUSION: Sickness presenteeism in university hospitals is part of a larger behavioural pattern where physicians seem to neglect or hide their own illness. Factors associated with competitive climate and myths about a healthy doctor might contribute to these behaviours. Importantly, it is suggested that managers and organisations should work actively to address these questions since organisational care might reduce the extent of these behaviours.
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| 4. |
- Andersson, A, et al.
(författare)
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A five-year rehabilitation programme for younger women after a coronary event reduces the need for hospital care
- 2010
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Ingår i: Scandinavian journal of public health. - : SAGE Publications. - 1651-1905 .- 1403-4948. ; 38:6, s. 566-573
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the dominant diagnosis in in-patient care in Sweden and the third most common cause for long-term sick leave and disability pension. Women are higher consumers of health care than men and have higher frequencies of sickness absenteeism. The aim of this paper was to evaluate whether a five-year long rehabilitation programme for women with CVD affected the use of hospital care and sickness absenteeism. Methods: 130 women below 65 years of age with CVD were randomized to either intervention (n = 69, mean age 52.4 years) with an intensive lifestyle programme (e.g. physical exercise, smoking cessation, dietary advice), including stress management or to standard care (n = 61, mean age 54.3 years). All patients went through baseline medical examinations, including self-administered questionnaires. This procedure was repeated yearly during the rehabilitation period. The frequency of cardiac-related healthcare use was followed via official registers. Results: Emergency visits and number of in-patient days decreased significantly in the intervention group from year one to year five (p < 0.05) but remained unchanged in the control group. Scheduled doctor visits decreased significantly in both groups. There were no significant differences between groups regarding proportion of women on sick leave after one, three and five years. Conclusions: This extensive intervention programme reduced visits at emergency wards and numbers of in-patient days, which in the long run may have beneficial effects on public finances and the patient’s quality of life. The study confirmed previous findings from interventions showing difficulties in influencing sick-leave rates.
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