# Effect of the Narcissism Subscale “Threatened Self” on the Occurrence of Burnout Among Male Physicians

## TL;DR

This study explores how the narcissism trait 'threatened self' relates to burnout in male physicians, finding it may increase the risk.

## Contribution

The study introduces the 'threatened self' narcissism subscale as a potential risk factor for burnout in male physicians.

## Key findings

- Lower 'threatened self' scores were significantly linked to reduced burnout likelihood.
- Effort–Reward Imbalance was significantly associated with burnout in male physicians.

## Abstract

Background/Objectives: Burnout is a highly prevalent issue among physicians. Recent research has indicated that personality traits, such as narcissism, may influence the development of burnout. This study investigates the relationship between the threatened self (TS) narcissism subscale and burnout in male physicians. Methods: We analyzed data from 60 male physicians in Switzerland, divided into burnout (n = 30) and control (n = 30) groups. Male physicians in Switzerland were recruited via hospitals, clinics, medical associations, professional journals, and direct email outreach. We assessed participants using the Maslach burnout inventory (MBI-HSS) and the Narcissism Inventory (NI-20). A generalized linear model (GLM) was used for the statistical analysis. Results: The results showed that lower TS scores were significantly associated with a reduced likelihood of burnout, suggesting that self-esteem instability and emotional vulnerability, characteristic of TS, may act as risk factors for burnout. Furthermore, we found that Effort–Reward Imbalance (ERI) was significantly associated with burnout. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of considering personality traits such as TS in burnout research and could be explored in further studies. In clinical practice, increasing therapists’ awareness of TS may support more targeted interventions and help prevent the onset of burnout.