Sources of job satisfaction and psychological distress in GPs and medical house officers

The psychological health and job satisfaction of 285 GPs and 89 medical house officers from Leeds was compared using standardized self-report measures. Forty-eight per cent of the GPs and 20% of the house officers scored as 'cases' of psychiatric disorder. The GPs were less satisfied with the recognition they received for their work and their hours of work, but more satisfied with their job variety and job autonomy. Further research examining the sources of work-related distress in different medical settings could help inform future organizational changes.