Perfectionism as a predictor of physician burnout

Sarah R Martin; Michelle A Fortier; Theodore W Heyming; Kyle Ahn; Whitney Nichols; Charles Golden; Haleh Saadat; Zeev N Kain

doi:10.1186/s12913-022-08785-7

Perfectionism as a predictor of physician burnout

BMC Health Serv Res. 2022 Nov 28;22(1):1425. doi: 10.1186/s12913-022-08785-7.

Authors

Sarah R Martin^{1

2

3}, Michelle A Fortier^{2

3

4}, Theodore W Heyming^{3

5}, Kyle Ahn¹, Whitney Nichols⁶, Charles Golden³, Haleh Saadat⁶, Zeev N Kain^{7

8

9}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Care, University of California, Irvine, 505 S. Main Street, Suite 940, Orange, CA, 92868, USA.
² Center On Stress & Health, University of California, Irvine, Orange, CA, USA.
³ Children's Hospital of Orange County, Orange, CA, USA.
⁴ Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
⁵ Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
⁶ Frank H Netter MD School of Medicine at, Quinnipiac University, North Haven, USA.
⁷ Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Care, University of California, Irvine, 505 S. Main Street, Suite 940, Orange, CA, 92868, USA. zkain@uci.edu.
⁸ Center On Stress & Health, University of California, Irvine, Orange, CA, USA. zkain@uci.edu.
⁹ Children's Hospital of Orange County, Orange, CA, USA. zkain@uci.edu.

Abstract

Background: Burnout is common among physicians and has detrimental effects on patient care and physician health. Recent editorials call attention to perfectionism in medicine; however, no studies to date have examined the effect of perfectionism on burnout in physicians practicing in the United States. This study examined associations among demographics, perfectionism and personality traits, and burnout among practicing physicians.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included general pediatric and pediatric sub-specialist physicians. Out of the 152 physicians contacted, 69 enrolled (Mean_age = 44.16 ± 9.98; 61% female). Emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment burnout were assessed via the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Validated instruments were used to measure personality and perfectionism. Data were analyzed using linear regression models.

Results: Across physicians assessed, 42% reported either high emotional exhaustion burnout or depersonalization burnout. High self-critical perfectionism uniquely predicted both high emotional exhaustion burnout (B = 0.55, 95%CI 0.25-0.85) and depersonalization burnout (B = 0.18, 95%CI 0.05-0.31). Low conscientiousness (B = -6.12; 95%CI, -10.95- -1.28) predicted higher emotional exhaustion burnout and low agreeableness (B = -3.20, 95%CI -5.93- -0.46) predicted higher depersonalization burnout.

Conclusions: Perfectionism is understudied among physicians and the current findings suggest that addressing system and individual-level factors that encourage perfectionism is warranted and may reduce risk for physician burnout.

Keywords: Burnout; Perfectionism; Physicians.

MeSH terms

Adult
Burnout, Psychological
Child
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Humans
Male
Medicine*
Middle Aged
Perfectionism*
Physicians*