AUTHOR=Beschoner Petra , von Wietersheim Jörn , Jarczok Marc N. , Braun Maxi , Schönfeldt-Lecuona Carlos , Viviani Roberto , Jerg-Bretzke Lucia , Kempf Maximilian , Brück Aniela 

TITLE=Effort-Reward-Imbalance, Burnout, and Depression Among Psychiatrists 2006 and 2016-Changes After a Legislative Intervention

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.641912

DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2021.641912

ISSN=1664-0640

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold> Physicians, especially psychiatrists, have a high risk of job-related stress, and mental impairment. In our study we examined changes in private and occupational stress factors and mental health within a decade. The legislative reduction of physicians' working hours in Germany during this period made it possible to investigate the impact of working hours in particular.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> Questionnaires were administered at two psychiatrist meetings (2006 and 2016) about job and family situation, depressiveness, burnout and effort-reward imbalance. A total of <italic>N</italic> = 1,797 datasets were analyzed.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> Working hours and free weekends were associated with mental health indices. Correlation analyses showed that a reduction in weekly working hours and working days at weekends was related to reduced scores for effort-reward-imbalance, burnout and depression.</p><p><bold>Conclusions:</bold> Our data show changes in workplace stress and mental health in psychiatrists in a decade in which a reduction in working hours has been required by law. These results can provide indications of effective prevention strategies in the professional context of physicians working in psychiatry.</p>