Burnout and work satisfaction are differentially associated in gastroenterologists in Germany.

Background: Burnout in the field of gastroenterology is an under-researched phenomenon. So far, only a few studies have dealt with this topic. There are large geographical variations in burnout rates with 16-20% of gastroenterologists in Mexico and Germany being at risk or having burnout, 30-40% in the United Kingdom, and 50-55% in South Korea, Canada, and the USA. The investigation of differential associations of burnout with important factors in gastroenterologists leading to tailored therapy recommendations is lacking. Therefore, we investigated the associations between work satisfaction and burnout in this specialization.

Methods: We distributed an electronic survey to gastroenterologists organized mainly in the Federal Organization of Gastroenterology in Germany (the BVGD - Bundesverband Gastroenterologie Deutschland). The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the Work Satisfaction Questionnaire (WSQ) were examined regarding their postulated internal structure in our sample of gastroenterologists. Canonical correlations were performed to examine the association between work satisfaction and burnout in endoscopy physicians.

Results: An acceptable model fit was shown for both the MBI and the Work Satisfaction Questionnaire. The canonical correlation analysis resulted in two statistically significant canonical functions with correlations of .62 (p<.001) and .27 (p<.001). The full model across all functions was significant (χ (18) = 386.26, p<.001). Burden, personal rewards, and global item regarding the job situation were good predictors for less exhaustion, while patient care and professional relations were good predictors for personal accomplishment. This supports the recognition of burnout as being a multidimensional construct which has to be thoroughly diagnosed.

Conclusions: Specific interventions should be designed to improve symptoms of burnout in endoscopy physicians according to their individual complaints as burnout is a multidimensional construct. Differential interventions should be offered on the basis of our study results in order to alleviate the issue of work satisfaction and burnout in endoscopy physicians.