Why is it so hard to improve physicians’ health? A qualitative interview study with senior physicians on mechanisms inherent in professional identity

Abstract

Objectives: Current research increasingly describes physicians’ health as endangered. Interventions to improve physicians’ health show inconsistent results. In order to investigate possible causes for weak long-term effects, we examined senior physicians' perceptions about the relevance of their own health and analyzed whether and how these might affect the difficulty to improve physicians' health.Method: The authors conducted 19 semi-structured interviews with senior physicians from different medical disciplines, analyzed the data and developed theory using the grounded theory method. Results: Based on the interviews, we developed a conceptual model which identifies reinforcing factors for physicians‘ hesitancy in self-care as well as barriers to change. Participants regarded their own health needs as low and equated health with performance. These perceptions were described as being part of their professional identity and mirrored by the hospital culture they work in. Mechanisms as part of the collective professional identity (CPI) of physicians help to stabilize the status quo through early socialization and pride in exceptional performance. In addition, the tabooing of weakness and illness among colleagues, and dissociation from patients as well as sick doctors were identified as stabilizing mechanisms. Conclusion: Findings support the assumption that one cause of physicians’ health problems might lie in a CPI that includes tendencies to rate one’s health as secondary or irrelevant. Identified mechanisms against change are, according to Social Identity Theory, typical group strategies which ensure the stability of CPI and make existing attitudes and beliefs difficult to change. However, barriers against change could possibly be overcome by addressing these underlying mechanisms and by a change process that is supported by experienced and competent members of the in-group for the benefit of both physicians and patients.

Keywords

• physicians’ health
• resilience
• professional identity formation
• interviews