Feelings of burnout and struggles with work-life balance are common among pediatricians in their first decade of practice, but the majority are satisfied with their careers and lives overall, according to a survey of 840 pediatricians who graduated residency between 2002 and 2004.
The survey, conducted in 2013, showed that 83% of early-career pediatricians are satisfied with their careers as physicians and 71% with their lives overall. On the negative side of the equation, however, 30% feel burned out and only 43% said the balance between their work and personal lives “was about right,” reported Dr. Amy J. Starmer of Boston Children’s Hospital and her associates (Pediatrics. 2016 Apr. 137[4]:e20153183. doi: 10.1542/peds.2015-3183).
Several personal and work factors were associated with burnout and work-life balance. Those who reported being sad or depressed in the last 12 months were significantly more likely (adjusted odds ratio, 3.94) to have feelings of burnout, but those with excellent or very good health were significantly less likely (AOR, 0.6). Among work-related factors, a hectic or chaotic work setting had an AOR of 5.18, while having adequate resources for patient care came in with an AOR of 0.37, the investigators said.
Excellent or good health was a personal factor positively and significantly associated with a balanced work and personal life (AOR, 2.16), while getting fewer than 7 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period had an AOR of 0.46. Adequate resources for patient care turned up again as a positive factor for work-life balance (AOR, 2.25), with 50 or more work hours per week showing the greatest negative association (AOR, 0.21), Dr. Starmer and her associates said.
The study was supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the authors indicated that they have no potential conflicts of interest.