Psychosocial Stress and Job Satisfaction among Specialist Physicians in Private Practice

Abstract

Background: Physician stress and job satisfaction are important components of occupational and professional health. Private practitioners may face substantial workload, time pressure, financial demands and interpersonal responsibilities. This study assessed perceived stress and multiple domains of job satisfaction among specialist physicians in private practice in Surat, India.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted during 2019–2020 among 244 postgraduate-qualified allopathic physicians engaged in private practice. Demographic information was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. Perceived stress was assessed with the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), and job satisfaction was assessed using the Indian Physician Job Satisfaction Scale (IPJSS). Descriptive statistics and analysis of variance were used to examine differences across demographic groups.

Results: Of 244 participants, 173 (70.9%) were men and 71 (29.1%) were women; 149 (61.1%) held MD degrees and 95 (38.9%) held MS degrees. Most participants (83.6%) reported working more than 8 hours per day or more than 48 hours per week, and 84.0% reported spending less than 6 hours per day with family. The mean PSS-10 score was 21.60, corresponding to moderate perceived stress. Overall job satisfaction did not differ significantly by sex. Significant differences in job satisfaction were reported across age, income and duration-of-practice groups, while personal-time satisfaction differed by sex, specialty and working hours. Physicians with more than 15 years of practice reported higher job satisfaction than those with shorter experience.

Conclusion: Specialist physicians in private practice experienced moderate perceived stress and relatively limited satisfaction with available personal time. Income and professional experience were associated with job satisfaction, highlighting the importance of workload management and work–life balance in physician health.