Peer coaching, setting boundaries help address ‘alarmingly high’ rate of physician burnout
Six in 10 physicians and residents report feelings of burnout, according to a new report from The Physicians Foundation.
That is a 50% increase from 2018, when four in 10 reported the same sentiment.
At the same time, stigma about receiving mental health care remains prevalent, findings from the 2024 Survey of America’s Current and Future Physicians showed.
“The main conclusion from the survey is that our current and future physicians continue to face alarmingly high levels of burnout despite the fact that we’re now 2 years down the road from the [COVID-19] pandemic,” Gary Price, MD, president of The Physicians Foundation, told Healio. “Those levels remain significantly higher than pre-pandemic, and they were at a crisis level then.”
The survey — which included responses from 1,020 physicians, 353 residents and 350 medical students — assessed well-being, perceptions about the state of the health profession and support for mental health care.
Over half of physicians who responded said they know a physician, peer or colleague who has ever considered, attempted or died by suicide, and 12% said they knew someone who considered suicide in the past 12 months.
Most physicians (77%), residents (75%) and medical students (78%) felt that there is stigma surrounding mental health and seeking mental health care among physicians. Four in 10 physicians were also afraid or knew a coworker who was afraid of seeking mental health care because of questions asked in medical licensure and credentialing.
The survey revealed improvement in a couple areas. For example, 30% of physicians said they felt hopeless or that they had no purpose, compared with 34% to 35% from 2021 to 2023. Additionally, 38% of physicians reported withdrawing from family, friends and coworkers — down from 46% in 2022.
However, although these decreases were statistically significant, “the bottom line is that the change is rather small, and the number of physicians who are left dealing with these kinds of feelings is huge,” Price said.
Several strategies have been developed or proposed to help members of the clinical community acknowledge and reduce burnout, improve work-life balance, and find joy in their profession.
1. Physician coaching by professionally trained peers effectively decreased physician burnout and interpersonal disconnectedness, according to results of a randomized trial. The approach also increased professional fulfillment and engagement. Read more.
2. Physicians — much like professional athletes — participate in a high-performance activity that requires time for rest and recovery, Thom Mayer, MD, FACEP, medical director for the NFL Players Association, said during his keynote address at this year’s Ending Clinician Burnout Global Summit. Mayer spoke about the concept of leadership and how taking ownership of one’s ability to lead, regardless of professional rank, is a powerful way for clinicians to address burnout. Read more.
3. Technologic advances such as online patient portals have given patients unprecedented access to their health care providers, allowing them to ask questions at any time — often with the expectation of a timely response. A paper published in JCO Oncology Practice addressed this challenge using a hypothetical case vignette, and the authors outlined the need for clear expectations regarding clinician communication with patients. Read more.
4. Fostering a shared connection to purpose and validating the importance of institutional well-being are essential to building a healthy oncology workplace culture, Mila L. Felder, MD, FACEP, said during a keynote address at Association of Cancer Care Centers’ Annual Meeting and Cancer Center Business Summit. Read more.
5. In this Healio Exclusive, physicians in oncology and other medical specialties explore the subjects of work-life balance, how “response fatigue” can exacerbate feelings of burnout, and why some are assessing whether the traditional way of practicing medicine is still a healthy and sustainable model. Read more.
6. Approximately one-third of clinicians working in academic settings expressed intentions to leave their current institution within the next 2 years, according to a survey conducted by Healthcare Professional Well-being Academic Consortium. Read more.
7. Women in medicine experience significantly higher levels of stress and burnout compared with men in medicine, according to a literature review published in Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health. Read more.
8. Less perceived control over clinical work was associated with increased physician burnout and intent to reduce clinical hours or leave their practice, according to research published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Read more.
9. During a panel at the Ending Clinician Burnout Global Summit, speakers described creative ways to draw awareness to physician suicide and help provide means for overcoming burnout. Read more.
10. During a special presentation at ASCO Annual Meeting, William E. Rosa, PhD, MBE, MS, shared how about a traumatic personal experience helped him learn it takes courage to reflect on one's mental and emotional well-being. “As a workforce, you and I see unacceptable rates of suicide, burnout, moral distress and attrition,” he said. “It’s time that we come to safe and supported terms with our trauma — not just as individuals, but as a collective, not only for the patients and families we serve, but for us to survive.” Read more.
To read more content on this topic, please visit Healio’s Focus on: Physician Burnout collection here.
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