Keywords: Burnout, family medicine, early-career physicians, physician wellbeing, health workforce, quality of care

Introduction:

Burnout among physicians has become a major concern worldwide, with early-career professionals being particularly vulnerable. Family physicians may face additional challenges related to clinical workload, continuity of care, and organisational demands across healthcare settings.This study aimed to analyse burnout prevalence and associated factors among early-career family physicians in Spain.

Method:

We conducted a cross-sectional national study including physicians within the first 10 years after starting specialty training. For this analysis, we selected the subgroup of physicians specialising in family medicine from the overall cohort. Burnout was assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey. Sociodemographic, occupational, and wellbeing-related variables were analysed to explore associations with burnout.

Results:

A total of 533 early-career family physicians were included. Burnout prevalence appeared higher than in the overall cohort of junior doctors and exceeded figures commonly reported in the international literature. Clinically significant one-, two-, and three-dimensional burnout were identified in 93.3%, 81.6%, and 53,3% of participants, respectively.Female physicians showed higher prevalence of overall burnout, emotional exhaustion, and reduced personal accomplishment compared to their male counterparts. Greater exposure to on-call duties was associated with higher burnout levels, particularly among residents.Physicians with burnout showed worse wellbeing indicators, including higher prevalence of sleep disturbances, impaired interpersonal relationships, unhealthy lifestyle patterns, substance use, psychotropic medication use, and lower self-perceived quality of life.

Conclusions:

Burnout affects a substantial proportion of early-career family physicians in Spain, with prevalence appearing higher than both the overall cohort of junior doctors and figures reported internationally.The association with on-call workload, gender differences, and markedly worse wellbeing indicators highlights that burnout is not merely an individual issue but reflects broader organisational challenges during the early professional stage.These findings underscore the need for systemic strategies to improve working conditions and support early-career family physicians, as addressing physician wellbeing is essential for workforce sustainability and quality of care.