(May 25, 2009 - Insidermedicine) Physicians who focus their time and energy on the aspects of their jobs that they find most meaningful may be at lower risk for burnout, according to a survey published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Here is some information about job burnout:

•    It is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by trying to keep on top of a demanding job.

•    Jobs associated with high rates of burnout include those in which demands are high but control is low.

•    Those in the helping professions, including doctors, police officers, and teachers are at increased risk for job burnout.

Researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester surveyed over 500 doctors of internal medicine working at a large academic medical center about their overall sense of well-being, job satisfaction, and the aspects of their job that they found to be most meaningful.

As many as 34% met the criteria for burnout, which included emotional exhaustion, a sense of disconnectedness from others, and a low sense of personal accomplishment. The 88% who said they spent at least 20% of their working time doing what they found the most personally meaningful had about half the burnout rate of those who did not.

Today's research highlights the need for physicians to engage in the activities they find most meaningful in order to reduce burnout rates.

For Insidermedicine in Depth, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.