The relationship between physicians' selfkindness and professional fulfillment and the mediating role of personal resilience and work-home interference: A cross-sectional study

Rosa Bogerd*, Maarten P.M. Debets, Debby G. Keuken, Rutger J. Hassink, José P.S. Henriques, Kiki M.J.M.H. Lombarts

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Background Professional fulfillment is crucial for physicians' well-being and optimal patient care. Highly demanding work environments, perfectionism and self-critical attitudes jeopardize physicians' professional fulfillment. Objective To explore to what extent a kinder attitude towards the self, i.e. self-kindness, was associated with physicians' professional fulfillment and whether this relationship was mediated by personal resilience and work-home interference. Methods In 2020, cardiologists (n = 374) in the Netherlands participated in a web-based survey. Selfkindness was measured by the self-kindness subscale of the Self-Compassion Scale, personal resilience by the Brief Resilience Scale, work-home interference by the negative Work-Home Interference subscale of the Survey Work-Home Interaction-Nijmegen, and professional fulfillment by the corresponding subscale of the Professional Fulfillment Index. Using Hayes' SPSS macro PROCESS v3.5, the authors tested the parallel mediation model. Results Self-kindness was not directly associated with professional fulfillment (direct effect = .042, p = .36, 95% CI: -0.048, 0.132). Self-kindness was indirectly related to professional fulfillment through individual resilience (indirect effect = .049, 95% CI: .020, 0.086) and work-home interference (indirect effect = .057, 95% CI: .023, 096). Conclusions This study suggests that improving physicians' self-kindness may enhance professional fulfillment through personal resilience and work-home interference. Our findings may stimulate and remind physicians to be kind towards themselves as it may benefit them and their patients.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere0284507
Number of pages13
JournalPLoS ONE
Volume18
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2023

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