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Keith L. Martin | February 12, 2020 | Contributor Information
Being a physician comes with the constant struggle to balance work and personal life, and psychiatrists are no different. This Medscape report explores how these doctors deal with burnout and other wellness issues, as well as their life outside of the office.
(Note: Some totals in this presentation do not equal 100% due to rounding.)
Keith L. Martin | February 12, 2020 | Contributor Information
A career as a psychiatrist can be challenging. Compared with their colleagues, psychiatrists' happiness is toward the middle of the pack. Close to one third responded that they were very or extremely happy at work.
Keith L. Martin | February 12, 2020 | Contributor Information
Perhaps not surprising, in general, physicians in all specialties, including psychiatrists, are happier outside of the office. About half of psychiatrists said they are either very or extremely happy when away from work.
Keith L. Martin | February 12, 2020 | Contributor Information
The growing number of bureaucratic tasks is the leading factor for psychiatrist burnout. Other factors include more time devoted to the EHR and lack of respect from colleagues in the workplace. (Respondents could choose more than one answer.)
Keith L. Martin | February 12, 2020 | Contributor Information
More than half of psychiatrists turn to isolating themselves to deal with their burnout, while lower percentages sleep, talk to family and friends, or exercise, illustrating the variety in coping mechanisms among physicians. (Respondents could choose more than one answer.)
Keith L. Martin | February 12, 2020 | Contributor Information
Of those psychiatrists who said they are depressed, about half said it has an impact on patient interactions. (Respondents could choose more than one answer.)
Keith L. Martin | February 12, 2020 | Contributor Information
The large majority of psychiatrists who reported being depressed said they have not felt suicidal. However, 17% of psychiatrists said they had had suicidal thoughts, while 1% said they had attempted suicide.
Keith L. Martin | February 12, 2020 | Contributor Information
Close to half of depressed and/or burned-out psychiatrists plan to deal with their emotions themselves. Nearly one quarter are seeking help now or plan to do so.
Keith L. Martin | February 12, 2020 | Contributor Information
While wellness programs in healthcare organizations and hospitals are becoming more common, psychiatrists are divided on whether they would access such services.
Keith L. Martin | February 12, 2020 | Contributor Information
The two main factors keeping psychiatrists from seeking help for their burnout and depression are not considering their symptoms severe enough and feeling that they could handle it on their own. (Respondents could choose more than one answer.)
Keith L. Martin | February 12, 2020 | Contributor Information
The vast majority of psychiatrists, regardless of gender, are married. Overall, 8% of physicians are single, similar to the percentage of psychiatrists (9%).
Keith L. Martin | February 12, 2020 | Contributor Information
Forty-nine percent of psychiatrists take 3-4 weeks of vacation per year, a somewhat greater percentage than that of all physicians (44%). Only 4% of psychiatrists spend more than 6 weeks away from the office.
Keith L. Martin | February 12, 2020 | Contributor Information
Close to two thirds of psychiatrists spend 1-10 hours per week on the Internet for personal use. According to a recent study by the USC Annenberg Center for the Digital Future, weekly Internet use at home rose from 12.3 hours in 2010 to 17.6 hours in 2016.
Keith L. Martin | February 12, 2020 | Contributor Information
The large majority of psychiatrists said they spend 10 hours or less on the Internet for their work. Similarly, 75% of all physicians spend that amount of time online for their jobs.
Keith L. Martin | February 12, 2020 | Contributor Information
Forty-three percent of psychiatrists say they regularly have the time to focus on their health and wellness goals. However, for the majority, it is a struggle to balance that with the workload and commitment they carry as physicians.
Keith L. Martin | February 12, 2020 | Contributor Information
Thirty-one percent of psychiatrists say they manage to exercise at least four times a week. In 2018, the CDC found that only 23% of US adults are reaching their guidelines of at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week.
Keith L. Martin | February 12, 2020 | Contributor Information
Half of psychiatrists reported having fewer than one alcoholic beverage per week. The percentage of psychiatrists who said they have more than six drinks per week is similar to the percentage for physicians overall (7%).
Keith L. Martin | February 12, 2020 | Contributor Information
More than half of psychiatrists reported feeling very or somewhat anxious about the US political climate as we approach the next presidential election. Physicians overall were also fairly divided in their concern over events coming out of Washington, DC.
Medscape Physician Lifestyle & Happiness Report 2020: The Generational Divide
More than 15,000 physicians of various generations told Medscape about their lives outside of medical practice.Medscape Features Slideshows, January 2020
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Comments on Medscape are moderated and should be professional in tone and on topic. You must declare any conflicts of interest related to your comments and responses. Please see our Commenting Guide for further information. We reserve the right to remove posts at our sole discretion.
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Keith L. Martin
Editorial Director, Medscape Business of Medicine
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