Background and objectives: Burnout is common in primary care doctors. The aim of this study was to explore burnout, self-care and retention in general practice supervision in Australia.
Method: The sample comprised 267 general practice supervisors from all Australian states and territories. Respondents completed an anonymous online survey.
Results: Respondents reported high levels of disengagement (n=189; 71%) and exhaustion (n=212; 79%). Factors associated with burnout included being younger; working while unwell; holding the belief that workplace support for self-care was inadequate; and lower daily balance and/or professional development self-care. Exhaustion was negatively associated with general practice supervisor retention via its negative effect on self-care (β=-0.379; 95% CI: -0.777 to -0.050).
Discussion: Burnout is common in general practice supervisors and is associated with attrition, possibly via a negative effect on self-care. Greater investment in workplace initiatives to address burnout and sector-wide strategies to reduce workforce shortages are needed.