summary
background Psychiatrists in the Netherlands seem to be experiencing more and more work stress and consequently less job satisfaction. Little research has been done in this field and the situation needs to be further investigated.
aim To obtain insight into the degree of job satisfaction experienced by Dutch psychiatrists and into factors that influence their job satisfaction.
method 2489 Dutch psychiatrists were asked to participate in a written enquiry.
results 927 psychiatrists responded; of these, 852 responses were complete. The age, sex and years of experience of the respondents seemed to be largely representative for Dutch psychiatrists in general. Psychiatrists in the Netherlands seemed to be reasonably satisfied with their work, but they also experienced a considerable amount of work stress. In particular, it was organisationrelated work stress that reduced their job satisfaction. This pattern does not differ essentially from the pattern that exists in other countries or among representatives of other specialisms. In the Netherlands, however, the work setting is particularly significant.
conclusion There seems to be a discrepancy between the relatively positive job satisfaction of Dutch psychiatrists and the high level of stress they experience as a result of working conditions. This situation is having a detrimental effect on job satisfaction. The implication is therefore that a number of managerial and policy measures need to be taken at various levels.