Reconstructing family doctors' psychological well-being and motivation for effective performance in China: the intervening role of psychological capital

BMC Fam Pract. 2020 Jul 10;21(1):137. doi: 10.1186/s12875-020-01182-1.

Abstract

Background: Family practice and family doctors are critical part of China's primary healthcare delivery in a constantly evolving society. As the first point of contact with the medical system, family practices require physically and psychologically sound and a well-motivated family doctors at all times. This is because an error can lead to loss of lives as gatekeepers of the medical system. Our study explored the extent to which positive psychological capital promotes higher performance among family doctors.

Methods: A questionnaire was used to collect data from family doctors in Shanghai, Nanjing, and Beijing. We applied a structural equation analysis to analyze the causal relationship among the variables.

Results: We found out that psychological well-being and job involvement significantly influences the performance of family doctors in China. The study also noted that psychological capital moderates the relationship between psychological well-being attainment, job involvement, and performance.

Conclusions: Studies have shown that these pressures affect their well-being considerably. For this reason, a healthcare professional who experiences positive emotions affects the total behavior which culminates into performance.

Keywords: China; Family doctor; Motivation; Performance; Psychological well-being.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Attitude of Health Personnel
  • China / epidemiology
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical
  • Female
  • Health Services Needs and Demand
  • Humans
  • Job Satisfaction*
  • Male
  • Mental Health*
  • Motivation
  • Physicians, Family* / economics
  • Physicians, Family* / psychology
  • Physicians, Family* / standards
  • Primary Health Care* / organization & administration
  • Primary Health Care* / standards
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Social Capital
  • Social Environment
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Work Performance / standards*
  • Workplace* / psychology
  • Workplace* / standards