Physician Burnout Is Growing

On October 19, 2023, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report on rates of burnout for U.S. health care professionals, including physicians.

Perceptions of working conditions and mental health status from 2018-2022 were tracked, and the resulting study found that health care workers reported more days of poor mental health and a higher likelihood of having experienced burnout in 2022 compared to rates in 2018. This shift comes on the heels of the COVID-19 public health emergency, which put severe stress on the health care system and health care workers specifically.

In 2022, less than 30% of health care workers described themselves as “very happy” professionally (a decline from 2018), more than a third reported symptoms of depression, and more than half reported symptoms of anxiety. Perhaps as a result, nearly half of the respondents in 2022 indicated they were actively or considering seeking a new job.

Of note, rates of feelings of burnout were noticeably higher for health care workers than other types of professionals surveyed.

To read the report, see the link here.

To read a New York Times article on the report, see here.