Job satisfaction, work ability and life satisfaction among Finnish anaesthesiologists.

BACKGROUND: Organizational changes and relative growth of the ageing population together with related health problems seem to have increased stressfulness in the work of anaesthesiologists. However, little is known about their work-related well-being and the factors through which their situation could be improved. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire study of the level and the determinants of job satisfaction, work ability and life satisfaction among female and male anaesthesiologists involved 258 Finnish anaesthesiologists working full time (53% men). RESULTS: The respondents had fairly high job satisfaction, work ability and life satisfaction. No gender differences appeared in these well-being indicators, but their determinants differed by gender. Job satisfaction was only associated with work-related factors in both genders: with job control in women and with job control and organizational justice in men. Work ability correlated with job control and health in both genders and with family life in women. Life satisfaction correlated with individual- and family related factors such as social support and family problems in both genders. Life satisfaction correlated with physical workload in men and health in women. Women had less job control, fewer permanent job contracts and more domestic workload than men. CONCLUSIONS: Job control and organizational justice were the most important determinants in work-related well-being. Work-related factors were slightly more important correlates of well-being in males, and family life seems to play a larger role in the well-being of female anaesthesiologists. Organizational and gender issues need to be addressed in order to maintain a high level of well-being among anaesthesiologists.

Sickness absence in hospital physicians: 2 year follow up study on determinants.

OBJECTIVES: To identify determinants of sickness absence in hospital physicians. METHODS: The Poisson regression analyses of short (1--3 days) and long (>3 days) recorded spells of sickness absence relating to potential determinants of sickness absence were based on a 2 year follow up period and cohorts of 447 (251 male and 196 female) physicians and 466 controls (female head nurses and ward sisters). RESULTS: There were no differences in health outcomes, self rated health status, prevalence of chronic illness, and being a case on the general health questionnaire (GHQ), between the groups but physicians took one third to a half the sick leave of controls. All the health outcomes were strongly associated with sickness absence in both groups. Of work related factors, teamwork had the greatest effect on sickness absence in physicians but not in the controls. Physicians working in poorly functioning teams were at 1.8 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.3 to 3.0) times greater risk of taking long spells than physicians working in well functioning teams. Risks related to overload, heavy on call responsibility, poor job control, social circumstances outside the workplace, and health behaviours were smaller. CONCLUSION: This is the first study of hospital physicians to show the association between recorded sickness absence and factors across various areas of life. In this occupational group, sickness absence is strongly associated with health problems, and the threshold for taking sick leave is high. Poor teamwork seems to contribute to the sickness absenteeism of hospital physicians even more than traditional psychosocial risks-such as overload and low job control. These findings may have implications for training and health promotion in hospitals.

Self-reported health, illness, and self-care among finnish physicians: a national survey.

BACKGROUND: Physicians' health problems have been discussed mainly in relation to substance abuse and psychiatric disorders. In this study, the prevalence of common chronic diseases and their treatment were determined. OBJECTIVE: To find differences in self-reported health status, amount of sick leave, and the use of health services among physicians according to sex and specialty. Data were also compared with those of the total employed population. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional postal questionnaire survey in Finland. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: A random sample of licensed physicians younger than 66 years (n = 4477) was randomly selected from the register of the Finnish Medical Association. A total of 3313 physicians (74%) responded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Perceived health, prevalence of diseases, self-treatment of diseases, amount of sick leave, and medical consultations. RESULTS: Female physicians assessed their health as being better than other female employees and had used health services and had been on sick leave more often than their male colleagues. Male physicians assessed their health as being equal to that of other men. Both female and male physicians had fewer sick leave than other employees. However, physicians-especially men-reported many common chronic illnesses as often or more often than other employees. Physicians had consulted other medical professionals less often than other employees, and they primarily self-treated their illnesses. Of the specialties, psychiatrists had used health services and had been on sick leave more often than other physicians. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that the usual form of care of physicians' diseases is self-treatment and "working through" illnesses. Arch Fam Med. 2000;9:1079-1085

Mast cell density in psoriatic skin. The effect of PUVA and corticosteroid therapy.

Numbers and volume fractions of mast cells in nonlesional and chronic lesional skin of psoriatic patients were compared with those of normal control skin. Mast cell densities were similar in psoriatic nonlesional and normal control skin. The superficial dermis of lesional psoriatic skin contained more mast cells than either normal or nonlesional psoriatic skin. Neither PUVA nor corticosteroid treatment for 3-4 weeks significantly reduced mast cell numbers or volume fractions in lesional skin, although both treatments clinically and histologically markedly improved the lesions. The results indicate that the initiation of the healing process in psoriatic plaques is not correlated with the mast cell density. The remaining high mast cell density may be normalized later, or after a longer therapy.