A three-year cohort study of the relationships between coping, job stress and burnout after a counselling intervention for help-seeking physicians

Investigate the roles of coping strategies, job stress and personality traits in burnout reduction after a counselling intervention for distressed physicians (n=227, 81% completion, more than 50% female). Main outcome measures were emotional exhaustion (one dimension of burnout), job stress, coping strategies and neuroticism. 1 and 3 y follow up. Reduction in emotion-focused coping and in job stress preceded reduction in emotional exhaustion. As a consequence, coping strategies and job stress could be important foci in intervention programs that aim to reduce or prevent burnout in help-seeking physicians.