ArticleBMC health services research2021
'The hardest job I've ever done': a qualitative exploration of the factors affecting junior doctors' mental health and well-being during medical training in Australia.
Article in BMC health services research, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 24 citations in OpenAlex.
- Trial
- Burnout among postgraduate medical trainees in Lebanon: experiences and prevention strategies.BMC medical education · 2026Article
- Supporting doctors' professional identity development through specialist training.Anatomical sciences education · 2026Article
- Junior Doctors' Experiences of Workplace Bullying, Harassment and Discrimination in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand-A Scoping Review.ANZ journal of surgery · 2026Article
- A scoping review of work patterns of junior medical officer tasks in hospital out of hours.Internal medicine journal · 2025Article
- Exploring the experiences of residents in managing multiple roles at tertiary care hospitals of Punjab, Pakistan.Pakistan journal of medical sciences · 2025Article
- A thematic analysis of newly qualified doctors' experiences of burnout.BMC medical education · 2025Article
- Testing the Effectiveness of a Mobile Smartphone App Designed to Improve the Mental Health of Junior Physicians: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR research protocols · 2024Article
- A scoping review of mental health status in Australian medical students and doctors-in-training (DiT).Health science reports · 2024Article
- Well-being of family physicians during COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia.BMC primary care · 2024Article
- In the shoes of junior doctors: a qualitative exploration of job performance using the job-demands resources model.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Article
- Development of the Shift Smartphone App to Support the Emotional Well-Being of Junior Physicians: Design of a Prototype and Results of Usability and Acceptability Testing.JMIR formative research · 2021Article
- Professional Preparedness Implications of Workplace Violence against Medical Students in Hospitals: A Cross-Sectional Study.Inquiry : a journal of medical care organization, provision and financingArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMedical practitioners can experience considerable stress and poor mental health during their careers, with doctors in training known to be particularly vulnerable. Previous research has documented work-related factors that may play a role in the mental health status of junior doctors. However, these and additional factors, need to be explored further by considering theory-driven, social, structural and contextual issues. This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of junior doctors working in Australian hospitals to identify factors that impact their mental health during medical training.
methodSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 junior medical officers (JMOs) employed across six hospitals in Australia. Transcribed de-identified interviews were analysed thematically using a data-driven inductive approach.
resultsFour interrelated main themes were identified: i) professional hierarchies; ii) occupational stress; iii) emotional labour, and iv) taking distress home; which detail the complex affective, relational and professional experiences of JMOs. The accounts demonstrate how the social, professional and organisational dimensions of these experiences impact upon trainee's well-being and mental health, both positively and negatively. Together, the findings document the dynamic, nuanced aspects of junior doctors' experiences of medical training and practice and highlights the importance of relational connections and the workplace environment in shaping JMOs' social and emotional well-being.
conclusionThe current study adds to the understanding of how junior doctors navigate medical training in Australian hospitals and highlights the complexities of this experience, particularly the ways in which mental health and well-being are shaped by different elements. These findings have important implications to inform new strategies to improve JMO mental health and to leverage work and non-work contexts to better support JMOs during medical training.
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