Just under half of full-time U.S. physicians report burnout at some point and one-fifth report depression, according to a Medscape report published Aug. 3.
The report is based on survey insights from 5,159 physicians in 29 specialties collected between Jan. 15 and April 16.
Seven survey findings to know:
1. Forty-six percent of physicians surveyed reported burnout and 20% reported depression, including 15% who reported both.
2. More than 8 in 10 physicians attributed most or all of their burnout to their job rather than their personal life, and two-thirds said they believe their burnout exceeds what professionals in other fields experience.
3. The share of burned-out physicians who have not sought professional mental healthcare and said they would not consider it fell to 47%, down from 53% three years ago.
4. More than 4 in 10 physicians rated their burnout at the two highest severity levels, and 14% said it is severe enough that they are considering leaving medicine, both figures similar to the prior report.
5. Bureaucratic burden and long hours remain the top two drivers of burnout, and insufficient salary rose to match lack of respect as a contributing factor.
6. Nearly 6 in 10 physicians said confiding in fellow doctors isn’t a valid option for depression support, and fear of being professionally doubted remains the top reason physicians hide a depression diagnosis.
7. Two-thirds of physicians made at least one change to their work environment in response to burnout, most commonly reducing hours, changing jobs or pushing for workflow changes.
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