How do they cope? A national cross-sectional study of coping in hospital doctors in Ireland

Ailbhe Doherty; Lucia Prihodova; Gillian Walsh; Blánaid Hayes

doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2023-076218

How do they cope? A national cross-sectional study of coping in hospital doctors in Ireland

BMJ Open. 2024 Jan 9;14(1):e076218. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-076218.

Authors

Ailbhe Doherty¹, Lucia Prihodova², Gillian Walsh³, Blánaid Hayes⁴

Affiliations

¹ Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service, Rotunda Hospital, Dublin, Ireland ailbhemdoherty@gmail.com.
² National Office for Research Ethics Committees, Dublin, Ireland.
³ School of Health and Human Performance, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland.
⁴ Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.

Abstract

Objectives: To measure coping strategies and associated psychological distress, burnout and work ability in hospital doctors in Ireland.

Design: National cross-sectional study of randomised sample of trainee and consultant hospital doctors.

Setting: Irish publicly funded hospitals and residential institutions.

Participants: 1749 doctors returned surveys (55% response rate).

Outcome measures: Dependent variables were psychological distress (measured using 12-item General Health Questionnaire), burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory) and work ability (single-item measure). Adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies (Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced) were covariates.

Results: The coping mechanism most frequently reported by this cohort was the adaptive strategy of active planning. Increased mean hours worked (MHW) (OR 1.02; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.03), a low Work Ability Score (OR 3.23; 95% CI 2.47 to 4.23) and maladaptive coping strategies (OR 1.26; 95% CI 1.22 to 1.31) were significantly associated with psychological distress. Adaptive coping was associated with decreased psychological distress (OR 0.98; 95% CI 0.97 to 1.00). Increased MHW (OR 0.98; 95% CI 0.97 to 0.99), insufficient work ability (OR 0.62; 95% CI 0.48 to 0.80) and maladaptive coping (OR 0.87; 95% CI 0.85 to 0.89) were significantly associated with burnout. Increased MHW (OR 0.99; 95% CI 0.98 to 1.00) and maladaptive coping (OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.88 to 0.92) were significantly associated with insufficient work ability.

Conclusions: Adaptive coping is associated with decreased psychological distress but does not mitigate the effect of increased work hours, which are associated with burnout, distress and insufficient work ability, regardless of a doctor's coping style. The burden of psychological distress on doctors cannot be mitigated meaningfully unless workplace factors are addressed.

Keywords: Hospitals, Public; OCCUPATIONAL & INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE; Occupational Stress.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Coping Skills*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Hospitals*
Humans
Ireland
Psychological Tests*
Self Report*

Supplementary concepts

Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Questionnaire
Maslach Burnout Inventory