Sociodemographic Characteristics and Job Satisfaction of Psychiatrists in China: Results From the First Nationwide Survey

What is it about?

We conducted this China’s first nationwide survey in 32 tertiary psychiatric hospitals in China, and we focused on the demographic characteristic, working hours, satisfaction and related factors. We found the majority of 2,602 participants were women, and 83.1% were between 30 and 49 years old. Significant differences were found in actual and expected monthly pay between male and female psychiatrists and across different regions. The top three reasons for dissatisfaction were low pay, contentious doctor-patient relationships, and a heavy workload. One-fifth of participants considered quitting. Compared to their international counterparts, the job satisfaction level of psychiatrists in China is rather low, especially in West China. Policymakers in China urgently need to find ways to improve the job satisfaction of working psychiatrists and should consider enhancements in financial compensation, the working environment, and malpractice insurance coverage.

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