Exploring the causes of work-related stress and burnout among doctors in Bangladesh: a qualitative study.

The postgraduate phase was identified as a critical pressure point for burnout among Bangladeshi doctors.

• This was identified as one of four major themes from reflexive thematic analysis of 15 semi-structured interviews.
• Participants included general practitioners, cardiologists, surgeons, and paediatricians.
• The postgraduate phase represents a structural pinch-point where pressures converge and heighten burnout risk.
• This theme reflects systemic factors in the training and career progression structure in Bangladesh.

There is limited awareness of mental health issues and insufficient support for doctors in Bangladesh.

• This emerged as the second of four major themes in the thematic analysis.
• The finding highlights a cultural and organizational gap in recognizing and addressing occupational burnout.
• Lack of mental health support was identified as a factor contributing to ongoing burnout among doctors.
• Data were collected in English or Bangla and analysed using Atlas.ti version 24.

High workload and competing demands were a major contributing factor to burnout among Bangladeshi doctors.

• This was the third of four themes identified through Reflexive Thematic Analysis with a Critical Realist approach.
• Bangladesh is described as facing critical health workforce shortages, which exacerbates workload pressures.
• The global shortage of healthcare professionals disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries including Bangladesh.
• Workload management strategies were identified as critical to improving doctors' well-being.

Unhelpful public attitudes and media narratives were identified as contributors to doctors' burnout in Bangladesh.

• This constituted the fourth major theme emerging from the qualitative analysis.
• Public attitudes and media narratives represent a cultural-level factor intersecting with structural and organizational pressures.
• Public awareness initiatives were recommended as critical responses to this issue.
• This theme highlights how external societal factors shape doctors' occupational experiences.

This study provides the first in-depth qualitative account of burnout causes among doctors in Bangladesh.

• An exploratory approach was employed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis with a Critical Realist approach.
• Fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with Bangladeshi doctors across multiple specialties (general practitioners, cardiologists, surgeons, and paediatricians).
• The authors describe it as 'the first in-depth qualitative account of how intersecting structural and cultural pressures shape doctors' experiences of burnout in Bangladesh.'
• The study identified that addressing burnout requires 'systemic and policy-level interventions.'