Pierfrancesco Franco1, Valentina Tesio2, Jenny Bertholet3, Anne Gasnier4, Elisabet Gonzalez Del Portillo5, Mateusz Spalek6, Jean-Emmanuel Bibault7, Gerben Borst8, Wouter Van Elmpt9, Daniela Thorwarth10, Laura Mullaney11, Kathrine Røe Redalen12, Ludwig Dubois13, Cyrus Chargari14, Sophie Perryck15, Jolien Heukelom16, Steven Petit17, Myriam Lybeer18, Lorys Castelli2. 1. European Society for Radiotherapy&Oncology (ESTRO) Young Committee, Brussels, Belgium; Department of Oncology, Radiation Oncology, University of Turin, Italy. Electronic address: pierfrancesco.franco@unito.it. 2. Department of Psychology, "ReMind the Body" Research Group, University of Turin, Italy. 3. European Society for Radiotherapy&Oncology (ESTRO) Young Committee, Brussels, Belgium; Joint Department of Physics, The Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom. 4. Radiotherapy Department, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France. 5. Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital of Salamanca, Spain. 6. European Society for Radiotherapy&Oncology (ESTRO) Young Committee, Brussels, Belgium; Department of Soft Tissue/Bone Sarcoma and Melanoma, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Institute - Oncology Center, Warsaw, Poland. 7. European Society for Radiotherapy&Oncology (ESTRO) Young Committee, Brussels, Belgium; Radiation Oncology Department, Hopital Europeen Georges Pompidou, Universite Paris Descartes, Paris, France. 8. Department of Oncology, Radiation Oncology Department, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 9. The M-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW - School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands. 10. Section for Biomedical Physics, University Hospital for Radiation Oncology Tubingen, Germany. 11. European Society for Radiotherapy&Oncology (ESTRO) Young Committee, Brussels, Belgium; Applied Radiation Therapy Trinity Research Group, Discipline of Radiation Therapy, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. 12. European Society for Radiotherapy&Oncology (ESTRO) Young Committee, Brussels, Belgium; Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. 13. European Society for Radiotherapy&Oncology (ESTRO) Young Committee, Brussels, Belgium; The M-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW - School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands. 14. European Society for Radiotherapy&Oncology (ESTRO) Young Committee, Brussels, Belgium; Radiotherapy Department, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France. 15. European Society for Radiotherapy&Oncology (ESTRO) Young Committee, Brussels, Belgium; Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Switzerland. 16. European Society for Radiotherapy&Oncology (ESTRO) Young Committee, Brussels, Belgium; Department of Oncology, Radiation Oncology Department, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 17. European Society for Radiotherapy&Oncology (ESTRO) Young Committee, Brussels, Belgium; Department of Radiation Oncology - Erasmus Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. 18. ESTRO Office, Brussels, Belgium.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Different factors may influence the professional quality of life of oncology professionals. Among them, personality traits, as alexithymia and empathy, are underinvestigated. Alexithymia is about deficits in emotion processing and awareness. Empathy is the ability to understand another's 'state of mind'/emotion. The PROject on BurnOut in RadiatioN Oncology (PRO BONO) assesses professional quality of life, including burnout, in the field of radiation oncology and investigates alexithymia and empathy as contributing factors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An online survey was conducted amongst ESTRO members. Participants completed 3 validated questionnaires for alexithymia, empathy and professional quality of life: (a) Toronto Alexithymia Scale; (b) Interpersonal Reactivity Index; (c) Professional Quality of Life Scale. The present analysis, focusing on radiation/clinical oncologists, evaluates Compassion Satisfaction (CS), Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) and Burnout and correlates them with alexithymia and empathy (empathic concern, perspective taking and personal distress) with generalized linear modeling. Significant covariates on univariate linear regression analysis were included in the multivariate linear regression model. RESULTS: A total of 825 radiation oncologists completed all questionnaires. A higher level of alexithymia was associated to decreased CS (β: -0.101; SE: 0.018; p < 0.001), increased STS (β: 0.228; SE: 0.018; p < 0.001) and burnout (β: 0.177; SE: 0.016; p < 0.001). A higher empathic concern was significantly associated to increased CS (β: 0.1.287; SE: 0.305; p = 0.001), STS (β: 0.114; SE: 0.296; p < 0.001), with no effect on burnout. Personal distress was associated to decreased CS (β: -1.423; SE: 0.275; p < 0.001), increased STS (β: 1.871; SE: 0.283; p < 0.001) and burnout (β: 1.504; SE: 0.245; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Alexithymic personality trait increased burnout risk, with less professional satisfaction. Empathic concern was associated to increased stress, without leading to burnout, resulting in higher professional fulfillment. These results may be used to benchmark preventing strategies, such as work-hour restrictions, peer support, debriefing sessions, and leadership initiatives for professionals at risk.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Different factors may influence the professional quality of life of oncology professionals. Among them, personality traits, as alexithymia and empathy, are underinvestigated. Alexithymia is about deficits in emotion processing and awareness. Empathy is the ability to understand another's 'state of mind'/emotion. The PROject on BurnOut in RadiatioN Oncology (PRO BONO) assesses professional quality of life, including burnout, in the field of radiation oncology and investigates alexithymia and empathy as contributing factors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An online survey was conducted amongst ESTRO members. Participants completed 3 validated questionnaires for alexithymia, empathy and professional quality of life: (a) Toronto Alexithymia Scale; (b) Interpersonal Reactivity Index; (c) Professional Quality of Life Scale. The present analysis, focusing on radiation/clinical oncologists, evaluates Compassion Satisfaction (CS), Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) and Burnout and correlates them with alexithymia and empathy (empathic concern, perspective taking and personal distress) with generalized linear modeling. Significant covariates on univariate linear regression analysis were included in the multivariate linear regression model. RESULTS: A total of 825 radiation oncologists completed all questionnaires. A higher level of alexithymia was associated to decreased CS (β: -0.101; SE: 0.018; p < 0.001), increased STS (β: 0.228; SE: 0.018; p < 0.001) and burnout (β: 0.177; SE: 0.016; p < 0.001). A higher empathic concern was significantly associated to increased CS (β: 0.1.287; SE: 0.305; p = 0.001), STS (β: 0.114; SE: 0.296; p < 0.001), with no effect on burnout. Personal distress was associated to decreased CS (β: -1.423; SE: 0.275; p < 0.001), increased STS (β: 1.871; SE: 0.283; p < 0.001) and burnout (β: 1.504; SE: 0.245; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Alexithymic personality trait increased burnout risk, with less professional satisfaction. Empathic concern was associated to increased stress, without leading to burnout, resulting in higher professional fulfillment. These results may be used to benchmark preventing strategies, such as work-hour restrictions, peer support, debriefing sessions, and leadership initiatives for professionals at risk.
Authors: Kimberly R Gergelis; Uma S Anand; Johanna S Rian; Kristofer W Roberts; Pamela J Quinones; Kenneth R Olivier; Kimberly S Corbin; Cynthia M Stonnington Journal: Adv Radiat Oncol Date: 2021-10-27