|
IV A:
Quality of Life and Mental Health of Physicians
KEYWORDS:
Quality of life, mental health, physicians, life-style, prevention
DESCRIPTION:
There is some evidence that quality of life of physicians is impaired due
to specific stressors of the medical profession. Results of studies
dealing with psychiatric risk support this hypothesis.
In the state of Hessen this topic was explored by asking physicians both
in private practice and in hospitals to fill out questionnaires; aspects
concerning quality of life were studied by focussing on work stress, work
satisfaction/dissatisfaction, perspectives of the future, developments in
health policy, career choice, life satisfaction/dissatisfaction and health.
Quite often the colleagues worried about being still able to make a living,
and only a minority of these physicians would advise their children to
chose the medical profession. In addition to this, representative data on quality of life of
addicted physicians in the state of Baden-Württemberg and North
Rhine-Westfalia were collected. These two samples of physicians have been
empirically compared to each other and
evaluated in order to develop predictors how to
cope successfully with stress in the medical profession.
IV B:
Health behavior and prevention for physicians, psychologists,
and dentists
KEYWORDS:
Health behavior, psychologists, physicians, prevention, quality of life
DESCRIPTION:
It can be derived that life expectancy of male and female physicians seems
to correspond approximately to the population average. The empirical
results are somewhat contradictory, and it is surprisingly difficult to
obtain unambiguous information.
However, the life expectancy of physicians is lower than that of
comparable socio-economic groups. Considering the physicians' knowledge of
health and prevention one might expect that they apply this knowledge much
more consistently than non-physicians resulting in higher life-expectancy
and better mental health. One might conclude that, concerning a healthy
life-style, male and female physicians do not act on their own advice. The
life-style of physicians which is characterized by a high level of stress,
an enormous workload, and considerable pressure of time seems to
correspond to this.
In addition, a comparative study on quality of life of physicians,
psychotherapists, and dentists has been conducted and
evaluated.
In addition to this, interviews as well as other techniques are being used
in order to compare psychologists and
physicians with each other in regard to health awareness and
health behavior under special consideration of gender specific factors.
These data will be related to the results of the project quality of life
and mental health of physicians.
IV C:
Preventive strategies for medical students to cope with future
work stress
KEYWORDS:
Medical students, work stress, work satisfaction, prevention, coping
DESCRIPTION:
In a cross-sectional study medical students from two different terms (three
years apart) were being questioned about work stress and the consequences
of their future medical profession. Attitudes and expectations regarding
future work stress, work satisfaction, coping strategies, gender specific
problems, effects on private life and future quality of life were studied
and evaluated.
A second practical project goal for the training of medical students is
not only to survey the different factors causing stress and their effect
on work satisfaction /-dissatisfaction but to find out what consequences
the different strains do have on health behavior of male and female
physicians. In regard of preventive measures coping strategies are being
worked out. For this purpose results of the project quality of life and
mental health of physicians are also being used and are being
successfully implemented in medical education.
IV D:
Cross-cultural study on quality of life and health behavior of physicians
KEYWORDS:
Quality of life, health behavior, physicians, life-style, public health
DESCRIPTION:
A cross-cultural study between Germany
and the USA on quality of life and health (both mental and physical) of
physicians has been successfully conducted and
evaluated. Quite often the more than
average stress caused by the medical profession, has negative effects on
the quality of life and health of physicians. One of the goals of our
study are to find out more about the factors that cause stress within the
medical profession. Other objectives include developing preventive
programs for MD’s and implementing results of our studies in the
training of medical students. In addition to this, it will help to better
understand and differentiate the factors which are caused by sociological
differences from those which are due to specific stressful conditions of
the medical profession.
PD Dr. H.B. Jurkat, 35392
Giessen, Germany
email (business):
Harald.Jurkat@psycho.med.uni-giessen.de
email (private): pdjurkat@yahoo.de
|
|