Turnover Intention and Its Associated Factors Among Psychiatrists in 41 Tertiary Hospitals in China During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Yating Yang; Ling Zhang; Mengdie Li; Xiaodong Wu; Lei Xia; Daphne Y Liu; Tingfang Liu; Yuanli Liu; Feng Jiang; Yi-Lang Tang; Huanzhong Liu; Nadine J Kalow

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.899358

Turnover Intention and Its Associated Factors Among Psychiatrists in 41 Tertiary Hospitals in China During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Front Psychol. 2022 Jun 10:13:899358. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.899358. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Yating Yang^{1

2}, Ling Zhang^{1

2}, Mengdie Li^{1

2}, Xiaodong Wu^{1

2}, Lei Xia^{1

2}, Daphne Y Liu^{3

4}, Tingfang Liu⁵, Yuanli Liu⁵, Feng Jiang^{6

7}, Yi-Lang Tang^{3

8}, Huanzhong Liu^{1

2}, Nadine J Kalow³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry, Chaohu Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
² Department of Psychiatry, School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
³ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.
⁴ Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States.
⁵ School of Health Policy and Management, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
⁶ School of International and Public Affairs, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
⁷ Institute of Healthy Yangtze River Delta, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
⁸ Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, United States.

Abstract

Background: Turnover intention, an employee's intention to voluntarily leave their jobs, affects workforce sustainability. However, scarce data are available about turnover intention and its associated factors among psychiatrists in China, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current research was designed to address this gap.

Methods: An anonymous, nationwide online survey was disseminated to psychiatrists in 41 psychiatric hospitals in China. We collected demographic data, job-related information (duration of employment, history of participation in the frontline work against COVID-19, job satisfaction), and participants' turnover intention in the next 12 months.

Results: In total, 3,973 psychiatrists completed the survey. The sample was predominantly female (58.8%) and married (79.5%), and nearly three-fourths (73.5%) had children. More than one-third (35.6%) had a master's or doctoral degree in addition to their medical degree. The overall level of job satisfaction was moderate. The rate of turnover intention was 22.0% and was comparable in males and females (22.9% in males and 21.3% in females, respectively). Psychiatrists who had participated in the frontline work of COVID-19 were more likely to report an intention to leave their current job. Multiple regression analyses suggested that turnover intention was significantly associated with having insomnia, longer working hours, and more working days per week.

Conclusion: During the pandemic period, approximately one-fifth of psychiatrists in China reported turnover intention. Factors associated with turnover intention included high job-related burdens, low job satisfaction, participation in the frontline work against COVID-19, and insomnia. To improve psychiatric workforce sustainability, policymakers and hospital administrators need to be aware of this potential challenge and address the concerns of psychiatrists in China.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; burnout; insomnia; job satisfaction; psychiatrists; turnover intention.