Why is it important to do research in wellbeing and burnout among GPs?

Since 2004, the incidence of burnout has been on the rise in Danish general practitioners. The biggest increase was seen from 2012 to 2016, when the proportion of "moderately burned out" GPs increased from approx. 25 per cent to 38 per cent, whereas the proportion of "severely burned out" GPs increased from approx. 5 per cent to 11 per cent. Our most recent survey from 2019 shows that the proportion in both groups seems to remain relatively stable at this rather high level. It is important to keep track of the numbers and follow the development if we want to do something about it.

Why do so many GPs burn out?

The surveys in both 2016 and 2019 show a clear connection between burnout and feeling burdened by complex patient contacts. It is difficult to determine whether it is complex patient contacts that cause GPs to burn out, or burnout that causes the GPs to perceive patient contacts as complex. But there is a correlation between the proportion of patients with multimorbidity listed in the clinic and the GP's risk of burnout. The proportion of GPs who feel burdened by patients with complex care needs has increased from 43 per cent in 2016 to 60 per cent in 2019. And the growing number of patients with multimorbidity takes a strong presence in general practice, because the increasing population of elderly people will have more chronic diseases that require treatment.

Does the GP's gender play a role?

We have not been able to find statistically significant gender differences regarding burnout in our studies. The proportion of female GPs has increased significantly since the first survey. Many studies report that women are generally more stressed and generally have poorer mental health, but we cannot document that female GPs are more burned out than their male colleagues.

How does it affect the patient if the GP is burnt out?

In our study, the burned-out GPs rate their work ability as 'reduced'. By linking their survey responses to register data, we can see that the patients listed with a burned-out GP more often transfer to a new GP. These patients are also at greater risk of being hospitalised for conditions that could have been avoided if optimal care had been provided in general practice. So, burnout can also affect the cost-effectiveness – both in general practice and in the healthcare system in general.

Who thrives the best?

The oldest GPs seem to thrive the best, whereas the age group of 45-55 years seems to be the most burdened. One explanation could be that the joy of being an independent GP may not last when everyday life sets in after taking over the clinic, and family life with school children also takes up a lot of time.

How do you promote job satisfaction?

The latest report shows that 55 per cent of the GPs do have the job satisfaction they desire, and that cooperation with colleagues is of great importance for job satisfaction. Many clinics have employed staff to do the tasks that do not require strictly medical competence, and this can make good use of resources. But, at the same time, the GPs risk to be left with all the medically complex patients - and this may increase their risk of burning out.

What is your most important message?

We have put burnout on the agenda. But we may have neglected to look at the other end of the spectrum; the GPs who thrive. In the future, we will take a closer look at this group of GPs, so that we can learn more about how they manage to maintain their well-being. Maybe they organise the work in a special way? But burnout must not become a personal matter alone. The large increase in burnout from 2012 to 2016 cannot be explained simply by lower robustness or resilience in GPs. We need to investigate if structural factors may have influenced this development.