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About 36% of family physicians are burned out, 5% are depressed, and 18% are both burned out and depressed.
In a survey of more than 9100 physicians across more than 29 specialities, 65% of respondents revealed "job burnout" as the top factor contributing to depression among family physicians. Family physicians have discovered that their happiness levels and work-life balance are not returning as easily even when the impacts of COVID-19 on their workplace have diminished. Several doctors are battling to rediscover the similar level of contentment that they enjoyed prior to the pandemic, to feel like they are healthy people with enough time for their families.
Meanwhile, the burden of recurrent burnout and depression continues to deepen among family physicians. There is a plethora of anger, sadness, and frustration. In a ten-minute online survey, physicians were invited to take part. Their replies revealed insights on how choices surrounding their personal habits, marriages, lifestyle, and family ties affect their happiness. For this survey, the margin of error was ±1.02% with a point estimate of 50%. In every speciality, minimum 3 out of 4 doctors were happy with their personal lives before the pandemic overturned American society. Family doctors (56%) were just as likely as all other doctors (58%) to say that their personal life away from the office was "very happy" or "happy."
In comparison to before the epidemic, clinicians in every speciality reported being significantly less happy with their personal life. Overall, 36% of doctors reported feeling burned out, 5% reported feeling depressed, and 18% reported both. About the same percentage of physician responders overall (43%) identified high or severe repercussions as burned-out family doctors. Burnout among family doctors was generally 42% severe/strong overall (44% males, 41% women). Notably, 22% of all physician responders who were burnt out reported having little to no influence. Overload was specified most commonly by physicians. The leading factor (73%) behind burnout among family physicians was found to be an excessive amount of bureaucratic tasks, such as charting or paperwork.
In general, electronic health record (EHR) documentation continued to frustrate doctors. Physicians completed EHR paperwork beyond work hours on average for 1.84 hours each day. That totals 9.2 hours each week spent working outside of regular business hours. Although lesser percentages of doctors picked negative coping strategies like binge eating (19%), drinking alcohol (24%), or eating junk food (36%), most of them chose healthy ones like spending time alone (43%), getting more sleep (46%), chatting with friends (48%), and exercising (49%). Few doctors might use tactics combination at different times. The relationships have also been impacted by burnout. Overall, 17% of doctors sought professional assistance to lessen burnout, 45% said they haven't but would consider doing so, and 39% of doctors said that they could handle the situation on their own and don't need professional assistance.
Notably, 42% of physicians' work-life happiness has been significantly impacted by COVID-19 over the past year, followed by 40% of doctors whose work-life happiness has been somewhat impacted. In the survey, 13% of physicians reported only a slight impact, and 4% reported no impact at all. Concerns that confessing about depression might cast a poor image were indicated by 52% of physicians as the main reason why they had not told anybody about it. About 40% of doctors believed that people might question their skills as doctors, 38% of doctors felt that people might have a negative opinion of them, and 38% of clinicians fear that the medical board or their employer might find out.
Overall, 16% of doctors consider depression to be a weakness. The fact that 57% of family doctors define their depression as "colloquial" (sad, blue, or feeling down) and 30% as "clinical" depression (not caused by normal grief events, lasting some time, severe depression) is noteworthy. Health (8%), personality (10%), romantic relationships (15%), insecurities (15%), family issues (16%), COVID-19 pandemic (24%), finances (28%), being a doctor (34%), current events going on in the world (50%), and job burnout (65%) all significantly contributed to family physicians' depression.
Notably, 44% of clinicians get exasperated with patients, 43% of doctors' interactions with patients are unaffected, 22% of doctors become less careful with patient notes, 19% of doctors get frustrated in front of their patients, and 13% of doctors make atypical mistakes. Family and friends (76%), and activities and hobbies (77%) appear to be effective antidotes to help doctors live happy lives, with each being employed by minimum 2 in 3 respondents. Overall, 67% of respondents said that exercise was vital, while 58% said that getting enough sleep was important, and 53% said that eating healthier was crucial to maintain their mental health and happiness.
In the survey, 24% of male doctors were identified as "very conflicted" or "conflicted," 34% as "somewhat conflicted," and 42% as "not at all conflicted" or "not very conflicted" as parents due to work demands. The corresponding responses among all female doctors were 55%, 22%, and 23%, respectively. Notably, 10% of family doctors exercise every day, 34% exercise at least 2-3 times per week, and 24% exercise four to five times per week. On the other end of the scale, 11% of doctors don't exercise and 20% of family doctors work out <1 time per week. Approximately 54% of doctors would accept a lower salary for a better work-life balance, whereas 46% would not.
The findings of the survey revealed that 8% of doctors drink seven or more drinks per week, 7% drink five to six drinks per week, 15% drink three to four drinks per week, 13% drink one or two drinks weekly, 32% drink less than one drink per week, and 25% don't drink. As found, 62% of clinicians said they kept online use away from work at 10 or less hours weekly.
Eleven percent of them acknowledged they are on the internet after working hours for minimum of 21 hours or more weekly, whereas, 26% of them said that they kept online for 11-20 hours weekly. Comparable stats for the amount of time doctors spend online for work each week are 65% for 10 hours or less, 17% for 11–20 hours, and 19% for 21 hours or more. Overall, 72% of female doctors and 86% of all male doctors surveyed were married, and 7% of female and 4% of male doctors lived with a partner.
According to the research, 13% of family doctors describe their marriages as fair, 4% as poor/very poor, and 83% as very good/good. Most family doctors rated their marriages as "very good" or "good". The rate of happy marriages exceeded 85% in two specialities: (1) Allergology and Immunology (89%), and (2) Dermatology (86%). As found, 78% of respondents indicated that they believed in spirituality or religion, 19% disagreed, and 3% did not respond. As found, 45% of family doctors take a vacation for three to four weeks each year, followed by 33% who go on vacation for one to two weeks each year. The three most popular car models that family doctors drove were Toyota (21%), Honda (15%), and Subaru (14%).
Medscape
Medscape Family Physician Lifestyle, Happiness & Burnout Report 2023: Contentment Amid Stress
Mary Lyn Koval
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