Hostname: page-component-7bb8b95d7b-l4ctd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-09-10T23:22:03.701Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The relationship between workaholism and perfectionism among trainee doctors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 August 2024

S. Ellouze
Affiliation:
Psychiatry “B”, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
N. Boussaid
Affiliation:
Psychiatry “B”, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
A. Mellouli*
Affiliation:
Psychiatry “B”, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
M. Turki
Affiliation:
Psychiatry “B”, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
E. Miledi
Affiliation:
Psychiatry “B”, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
N. Halouani
Affiliation:
Psychiatry “B”, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
J. Aloulou
Affiliation:
Psychiatry “B”, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Introduction

In the medical field, work addiction is a double-edged phenomenon. It can be regarded as a positive addiction leading to high motivation to work, but it can also have adverse mental, physical, and social consequences.

Objectives

To assess the relationship between work addiction and perfectionism in trainee doctors.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive and analytical study among trainee doctors. We used the “Work Addiction Risk Test” (WART), and “The Big Three perfectionism scale short form”.

Results

A total of 99 doctors were included. The mean age of participants was 27.6 years, with a sex ratio (M/F) of 0.33. The doctors in our study worked 5.39±1.6 hours a day and were on call 3.84±2.87 times a month. Their average number of hours of sleep was less than 7 hours in 43.4 % of participants. The mean score of the WART was 61.2±14.83. Among the trainee doctors surveyed 39% were considered at high risk of workaholism. The mean WART score was significantly higher among female physicians and those who slept less than 7 hours per day on average. In addition, the average score on the WART scale was significantly associated with the number of calls per month. We found a statistically significant association between perfectionism scores and work addiction scores.

Conclusions

Our study showed that work addiction is common among doctors in training and is favored by high levels of perfectionism. It is therefore essential to explore and define preventive measures to help them find a balance allowing them to aim for high standards and be able to progress, without setting unrealistic expectations, which can lead to work addiction.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Type
Abstract
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of European Psychiatric Association
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.