170978 20260430151736.0 doi 10.1080/13814788.2026.2652678 sideral 149009 ART-2026-149009 eng Nessler, Katarzyna The impact of professional characteristics and person-centred care on general practitioners’ stress levels. Findings from the cross-sectional PACE GP/FP study in 24 European countries 2026 Background General practitioners (GPs) face numerous challenges that can contribute to stress. Understanding these factors is crucial for developing interventions to support physician wellbeing and maintain high-quality care. Objectives The study aims to explore the factors associated with perceived stress among European GPs, including attitudes towards person-centred care (PCC), demographics, and professional characteristics. Methods The PACE GP/FP study is an online, cross-sectional, multi-centred survey conducted in 24 European countries between November 2022 and January 2024. The survey tool included the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS), and questions on GPs’ demographics and practice characteristics. Linear mixed models analysed the relationship between these variables and perceived stress. Results In total, 3522 GPs were included in the analysis. The mean PSS score indicated moderate levels of stress. Female gender and younger age were associated with increased stress. Also, a higher number of daily patient contacts and a greater perceived responsibility for vulnerable patient populations (e.g. migrants, those with limited social support, or psychiatric vulnerabilities) were significantly associated with higher stress. A stronger patient-centred orientation was associated with lower perceived stress. Conclusion The findings have implications for interventions to reduce GP stress, such as training programs promoting PCC, optimising patient contact rates, and providing targeted support for GPs caring for vulnerable patients. Further research is needed to explore these factors’ complex interplay and impact on GP wellbeing. Access copy available to the general public Unrestricted info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess by https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.es info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Studzinski, Krzysztof Klemenc-Ketiš, Zalika Rogers, Heather L. Eide, Torunn Bjerve Ares Blanco, Sara Lingner, Heidrun Kreitmayer, Sanda González-Lama, Jesús Van Poel, Esther Kafadar, Didem Hoffmann, Kathryn Frese, Thomas Assenova, Radost Ungan, Mehmet Vuletic, Gorka Zelko, Erika Magallón-Botaya, Rosa Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0002-5494-6550 Tomicic, Marion Mendez Lopez, Fatima Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0002-6409-9041 Tsimtsiou, Zoi Mora, Miguel J. Mahtani, Vinita Wójtowicz, Ewa Windak, Adam Petricek, Goranka 1006 255 Universidad de Zaragoza Dpto. Fisiatría y Enfermería Área Enfermería 1007 610 Universidad de Zaragoza Dpto. Medicina, Psiqu. y Derm. Area Medicina 32, 1 (2026), [11 pp.] Eur. j. gen. pract EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF GENERAL PRACTICE 1381-4788 2974275 http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/170978/files/texto_completo.pdf Versión publicada 1762796 http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/170978/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon icon Versión publicada oai:zaguan.unizar.es:170978 articulos driver 2026-04-30-13:58:18 ARTICLE