Effects of gaps in priorities between ideal and real lives on psychological burnout among academic faculty members at a medical university in Japan: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

BackgroundAccumulating evidence from medical workforce research indicates that poor work/life balance and increased work/home conflict induce psychological distress. In this study we aim to examine the existence of a priority gap between ideal and real lives, and its association with psychological burnout among academic professionals.MethodsThis cross-sectional survey, conducted in 2014, included faculty members (228 men, 102 women) at a single medical university in Tokyo, Japan. The outcome of interest was psychological burnout, measured with a validated inventory. Discordance between ideal- and real-life priorities, based on participants’ responses (work, family, individual life, combinations thereof), was defined as a priority gap.ResultsThe majority (64%) of participants chose “work” as the greatest priority in real life, but only 28% chose “work” as the greatest priority in their conception of an ideal life. Priority gaps were identified in 59.5% of respondents. A stepwise multivariable general linear model demonstrated that burnout scores were associated positively with respondents’ current position (P < 0.0018) and the presence of a priority gap (P < 0.0001), and negatively with the presence of social support (P < 0.0001). Among participants reporting priority gaps, burnout scores were significantly lower in those with children than in those with no children (P interaction = 0.011); no such trend was observed in participants with no priority gap.ConclusionsA gap in priorities between an ideal and real life was associated with an increased risk of burnout, and the presence of children, which is a type of “family” social support, had a mitigating effect on burnout among those reporting priority gaps.

Work-life conflict, gender-based discrimination, and their associations among professionals in a medical university and affiliated hospitals in Japan: A cross-sectional study

“…Academic faculty members of our study population may therefore tend to have difficulty balancing work and private life. A high prevalence of perceived WLC among academic faculty members was consistent with a report by Chatani et al 2) As for nurses, they are representative of shift workers. Shift work, especially rotating shifts, can disrupt workers' circadian rhythms, resulting in sleep disturbances and private life interference 38) .…”

“…For example, in a national study including a large sample of US physicians, Shanafelt et al 6) reported that 36.9% of physicians had WLC. Similarly, in a survey of 330 academic faculty members at a Japanese medical university, Chatani et al 2)…”

“…There are several plausible reasons for these observed findings. In Japan, obtaining academic positions related to medicine is known to be highly competitive and the work required to retain such a position is known to be demanding 2) . Obtaining a tenure position is getting even more difficult for young Japanese researchers 37) .…”

“…With the continuous increase of women, dualearner couples, and single parents in the workforce, an imbalance in work responsibilities and family roles (worklife conflict [WLC]) has become a growing challenge for modern society 1) . WLC is known to be associated with a number of negative consequences including burnout 2,3) , depression 4) , and career dissatisfaction 2) . The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work Research has recently classified WLC as one of the most emerging psychosocial risk factors in the workplace 5) .…”

“…Although previous studies have focused on WLC in faculty members 2) , physicians 3,6) and nurses 12) , there is a paucity of studies that intercompare the prevalence of WLC among all professionals working in medical institutions. In medical universities and affiliated hospitals, a variety of workers, including members of the academic faculty, practicing physicians, nurses, technicians, therapists and clerks, are working together on a regular basis.…”