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Cited by 4Healthcare professionals’ stress and burnoutStress and Burnout ResearchOccupational Health and Burnout

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How do they cope? A national cross-sectional study of coping in hospital doctors in Ireland

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Doherty, Ailbhe, Prihodova, Lucia, Walsh, Gillian, Hayes, Blánaid·2024·BMJ Open
DOI 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-076218PMC PMC10806734
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Abstract

Objectives: To measure coping strategies and associated psychological distress, burnout and work ability in hospital doctors in Ireland. Design: National cross-sectional study of randomised sample of trainee and consultant hospital doctors. Setting: Irish publicly funded hospitals and residential institutions. Participants: 1749 doctors returned surveys (55% response rate). Outcome measures: Dependent variables were psychological distress (measured using 12-item General Health Questionnaire), burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory) and work ability (single-item measure). Adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies (Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced) were covariates. Results: The coping mechanism most frequently reported by this cohort was the adaptive strategy of active planning. Increased mean hours worked (MHW) (OR 1.02; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.03), a low Work Ability Score (OR 3.23; 95% CI 2.47 to 4.23) and maladaptive coping strategies (OR 1.26; 95% CI 1.22 to 1.31) were significantly associated with psychological distress. Adaptive coping was associated with decreased psychological distress (OR 0.98; 95% CI 0.97 to 1.00). Increased MHW (OR 0.98; 95% CI 0.97 to 0.99), insufficient work ability (OR 0.62; 95% CI 0.48 to 0.80) and maladaptive coping (OR 0.87; 95% CI 0.85 to 0.89) were significantly associated with burnout. Increased MHW (OR 0.99; 95% CI 0.98 to 1.00) and maladaptive coping (OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.88 to 0.92) were significantly associated with insufficient work ability. Conclusions: Adaptive coping is associated with decreased psychological distress but does not mitigate the effect of increased work hours, which are associated with burnout, distress and insufficient work ability, regardless of a doctor’s coping style. The burden of psychological distress on doctors cannot be mitigated meaningfully unless workplace factors are addressed.

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  • Findings from Romania and Ireland reinforced that maladaptive management strategies such as denial, venting, self-distraction, disengagement, and substance use were associated with poorer mental health outcomes.

    “Similarly, findings from Romania and Ireland reinforced that maladaptive management strategies such as denial, venting, self-distraction, disengagement, and substance use were associated with poorer mental health outcomes (42, 43).”

    From Management strategies for healthcare worker burnout in Sub-Saharan Africa: an integrative review (2026) · cites this paper as [43]

    The Discussion (page unavailable) reports that maladaptive and avoidant coping were associated with psychological distress and burnout among hospital doctors in Ireland. The paper classifies the listed behaviours as maladaptive or avoidant, but its Irish results analyse coping categories rather than showing that each named strategy was individually associated with poorer mental health. It does not provide findings from Romania. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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Research works printed but not linked: 41

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Metadata

Authors
Doherty, A., Prihodova, L., Walsh, G., & Hayes, B.
Affiliations
  • Rotunda Hospital (IE)
  • Dublin City University (IE)
  • Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (IE)
Corresponding author
Doherty, Ailbhe
ORCID
Doherty, Ailbhe
Venue
BMJ Open
Publisher
BMJ
Published
2024-01
Volume
14
Issue
1
Pages
e076218
ISSN
2044-6055 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1136/bmjopen-2023-076218
PMC
PMC10806734
OpenAlex
W4390701202
Cited by
4
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 1
FWCI
2.35
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • BMJ Open (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (N/A)
  • Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (N/A)
  • Human Resources National Directorate of the Health Service Executive (N/A)
  • College of Anaesthetists (N/A)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Healthcare professionals’ stress and burnout
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Stress and Burnout Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Occupational Health and Burnout
Keywords
coping strategies, hospital physicians, psychological distress, burnout, work ability, working hours, maladaptive coping, adaptive coping, active planning, physician well-being
MeSH terms
Coping Skills, Cross-Sectional Studies, Hospitals, Humans, Ireland, Psychological Tests, Self Report

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