Social support and depressive symptoms among physicians in tertiary hospitals in China: a cross-sectional study

BMC Psychiatry

Guowen Wang¹  Chang Fu²  Fenglin Cao²  Xiuxin Shi³ 

[1] Department of Education, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University;Department of Health Psychology, School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University;Office of Medical Quality Control, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University;

关键词: Depressive symptoms;    Physicians;    Sex difference;    Social support;    Tertiary hospitals;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12888-021-03219-w

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Abstract Background Social support is an important factor for individual’s mental health. However, the association between social support and depressive symptoms among physicians in China’ tertiary hospitals has not been explored. This study aimed to investigate its association among physicians stratifying by sex. Methods Six hundred fifty-six physicians were enrolled from 12 tertiary hospitals of Shandong Province, China. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Social support was evaluated using the Social Support Rating Scale. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between social support and depressive symptoms among physicians. Results The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 42.3% and the average social support score was 38.82 ± 7.53 among physicians. Lower subjective social support scores (male: β = − 0.317, p < 0.001; female: β = − 0.241, p < 0.001) and lower objective social support scores (male: β = − 0.218, p = 0.038; female: β = − 0.277, p = 0.035) were associated with high depressive symptoms among physicians. Lower support utilization scores (β = − 0.472, p < 0.001) were associated with high depressive symptoms among male physicians. Conclusions Chinese physicians had a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms and lower social support than the Chinese general population. Objective and subjective social support were inversely associated with depressive symptoms among male and female physicians while support utilization was inversely associated with depressive symptoms among male rather than female physicians. It is critical to improve physicians’ mental health through strengthening social support in China.

【 授权许可】

Unknown