When Do Narcissists Burn Out? The Bright and Dark Side of Narcissism in Surgeons.

This study addresses narcissism as an important psychological factor for the prediction of burnout. Previous research has produced inconsistent findings on whether narcissism is beneficial or detrimental to the development of burnout which is due to the fact that narcissism is viewed as an overall construct rather than on a dimensional level. This study applied a two-dimensional approach to narcissism in burnout. Three hundred-fifty-two surgeons from Germany were asked to complete the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Questionnaire. Linear regression analyses revealed that high scores in admiration predicted high personal fulfillment, low emotional exhaustion, and depersonalization. For rivalry, the opposite picture emerged. The results indicate that admiration seems to have a protecting effect, whereas rivalry appears to promote burnout severity.

Doctors' tacit knowledge on coping processes of oral cancer patients: A qualitative study.

PURPOSE: The implicit knowledge of doctors about coping, quality of life and factors which have an influence on these aspects were investigated. In addition, they were asked about the need for psychological support in clinical practice. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Doctors (n = 40) working in the field of oral and maxillofacial surgery, otorhinolaryngology and oncology were interviewed about coping and quality of life of patients, the course of therapy and experiences in the doctor-patient interaction based on a semi-structured interview. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Hundred percent of the doctors pointed out that patients with oral cancer are a special clientele which definitely needs to have psycho-oncological support. Eighty seven percent of the doctors divide their patients based on their style of coping into two groups: the one who are depressive and do not cope well and active patients who are able to stand their diagnosis. Ninety five percent of the doctors cite personality and social support as key factors affecting the quality of life and style of coping. Lack of time and lack of support from psychologists were given as the main obstacle for holistic treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Doctors have very specific ideas about the coping mechanisms and problems of their patients. These theories may have an impact on the doctor-patient relationship and should be considered in more detail.

Coping with oral cancer: the impact of health and disease-related personality traits.

PURPOSE: Oral tumours lead to critical reductions in quality of life and well being. Coping with illness is a multidimensional construct that is affected by various factors, including social structure, social support, locus of control and religious considerations. However, the effect of personality on coping with illness has hardly been studied. In this context, just one personality model has been developed, but this defines personality in very wide dimensions. Therefore, this study considered the personality factors related to health and disease and aimed to identify potential clinical applications in patients with oral cancer. METHODS: We enrolled 104 patients suffering from oral cancer. Participants were asked about their personality and illness coping styles using the Freiburg Personality Inventory and the Freiburg Questionnaire of Coping with Illness, respectively. RESULTS: Regression analyses revealed that specific personality structures of the patients determine their way of coping. Patients primarily used active and problem-oriented coping styles; spirituality, depressive coping and minimization were used less frequently. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate that personality affects coping behaviour. When treating patients, both situational factors and personality traits affect how patients cope with their disease. We note that it is important to give particular attention to patients who use depressive coping styles, as these patients are often incapable of coping with their diseases without external support.