Thank you for your editorial on ‘Burnout and empathy in primary care’.1 These are crucial, but often neglected, factors in our day-to-day lives as GPs. However, I was surprised that there was no mention of resilience. There is a large body of literature that explores this as a protective characteristic when things get tough. One of the key underlying personal attributes that promotes resilience is a personal faith.2 Many faiths also emphasise the need for compassion, and teach that compassion can be renewed through personal, spiritual activity. It seems to me that the potentially disparate characteristics of burnout and empathy can be linked through the medium of faith/spirituality. This is something that we are encouraged to address with patients,3 is it about time that we encouraged its exploration for doctors?
- © British Journal of General Practice 2012
