Perceived ideological differences, job satisfaction and organizational commitment among psychiatrists in a community mental health center.

Physician turnover has long been a problem in community mental health centers. While explanations for the problem have been offered, there have been no systematic studies of factors associated with the high turnover. In this study, the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire and the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire were given to psychiatrists employed by a community mental health center. Subjects were also asked to identify their treatment ideology, and to rate their perception of the ideology of other clinicians and administrators with whom they work. Psychiatrists perceived significant differences in many ideological areas. Analysis demonstrated a correlation between these differences and the commitment of the psychiatrists to the organization.