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Keith L. Martin | January 15, 2021 | Contributor Information
The past year challenged the happiness and lifestyles of many, but especially those in the healthcare field. Whether on the front lines of treating COVID-19 patients or pivoting from in-person to virtual care, there were several struggles for physicians. And there were probably changes in their lives outside of medicine too.
This year's report explores topics ranging from maintaining personal wellness to the strength of relationships amid a pandemic. More than 12,000 physicians in over 29 specialties responded to our survey.
(Note: Some totals in this presentation do not equal 100% due to rounding.)
Keith L. Martin | January 15, 2021 | Contributor Information
Prior to COVID-19 affecting everyday living in March 2020, physicians largely reported being happy outside of work. Eighty-two percent said they were somewhat or very happy, with similar percentages among men (83%) and women (80%).
Keith L. Martin | January 15, 2021 | Contributor Information
The feeling has clearly shifted with the duration of the pandemic. Only about half of all physicians say they are now very or somewhat happy outside of work, showing signs of strain on the healthcare industry and its doctors.
Keith L. Martin | January 15, 2021 | Contributor Information
Solo activities such as hobbies and exercise were each noted by about two thirds as ways to remain healthy and happy during the pandemic. A similar percentage noted that they rely on others, mainly family and friends, to help boost their spirits.
Michael F. Myers, MD, professor of clinical psychiatry at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn, New York, said he was pleased that physicians are taking positive steps to maintain their mental health.
"The pandemic, in all its harshness, has affected physicians in many ways, one being that life is precious, including their own," said Myers.
Keith L. Martin | January 15, 2021 | Contributor Information
Overall, 30% of physicians said they were conflicted or very conflicted in balancing their medical work and caring for their children. But there are clear differences between male and female doctors.
Myers said that even when men share a good portion of childcare responsibilities, the "CEO function of the home" almost always still rests with women, a role often unspoken and unrecognized.
"Since COVID-19, the role strain for women physicians who are also mothers has greatly increased due to worry about contagion and how this impacts hiring/maintaining paid help and extended family members," he said. "Add sheltering in place and kids not at school full-time — or in hybrid models — and you have huge strain on the family."
Keith L. Martin | January 15, 2021 | Contributor Information
More than a third of physicians (35%) generally make time to focus on their own well-being. A higher percentage of male physicians (39%) say they focus on wellness always or most of the time as compared with female physicians (28%).
Myers said that while the 46% of physicians who "sometimes" find time for wellness is a positive, there remains room to grow. Wellness, which includes physical, psychological, and spiritual health, he noted, should be essential for everyone.
Keith L. Martin | January 15, 2021 | Contributor Information
Seventy-one percent of physicians say they exercise two or more times a week.
In March 2020, the World Health Organization recommended 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity for adults, or a combination of both. The group noted that this is for those in self-quarantine without any symptoms or diagnosis of acute respiratory illness.
Keith L. Martin | January 15, 2021 | Contributor Information
Nearly half of physicians are currently trying to lose weight, with a third working to maintain their current weight, no easy task during the pandemic.
A study in the United Kingdom found that more than half of respondents struggled to maintain their weight during the COVID-19 outbreak amid increased anxiety and stress as well as lack of access to healthy foods.
Keith L. Martin | January 15, 2021 | Contributor Information
Nearly half of physicians would sacrifice some of their salary for a better home life, similar to results from the Medscape National Physician Burnout & Suicide Report 2020. Slightly more female physicians (50%) than male physicians (45%) would make this trade-off.
Keith L. Martin | January 15, 2021 | Contributor Information
Among physicians who said they would give up some of their salary, about a third would take a pay cut of between $10,001 and $20,000, while a similar percentage would sacrifice $20,000–$50,000.
Keith L. Martin | January 15, 2021 | Contributor Information
Among physicians who consume alcohol, having five or more drinks per week increases with the age of a physician, according to this year's report. Twenty-four percent of physicians said they do not consume alcohol at all.
In last year's report, nearly half (49%) of all physicians said they have less than one drink per week, similar to this year's mark, including those who do not consume alcohol.
Keith L. Martin | January 15, 2021 | Contributor Information
The majority of physicians are spending up to 10 hours weekly online for personal use. Even when their personal and professional use is combined, on average, physicians spend far less time online than the nearly 7 hours per day of the average internet user, as reported by Hootsuite and We Are Social.
Keith L. Martin | January 15, 2021 | Contributor Information
When it comes to using the internet for their work, a large majority of physicians are online up to 10 hours per week. This is a slight increase from last year's data, and one could assume that with greater use of telemedicine during a pandemic, the percentage could rise again next year.
Keith L. Martin | January 15, 2021 | Contributor Information
The majority of physicians are currently in a committed relationship, with 85% (90% of men and 77% of women) either married or living with a partner.
"A committed relationship is not universal," said Myers. "There is a huge cohort of individuals, men and women, who are single and wholly fulfilled both personally and professionally as physicians."
Keith L. Martin | January 15, 2021 | Contributor Information
More than 8 of every 10 physicians say their marriage is very good or good, the same percentage as last year's report.
"The 85% is terrific," said Myers, who has counseled physician couples. "It hasn't always been that way in medicine, so perhaps most physicians today are really protecting time, energy, and love for their partners. They are not letting medicine shortchange this vital dimension of their lives."
Keith L. Martin | January 15, 2021 | Contributor Information
Pulmonologists, dermatologists, ophthalmologists, and urologists more often reported great satisfaction with their marriages; on the other end of the spectrum are critical care physicians and psychiatrists.
Keith L. Martin | January 15, 2021 | Contributor Information
Among physicians who are married or living with a partner, less than half (43%) are with someone in the medical field. Of those who are, nearly a quarter (24%) of women are married to a physician while a third of men are married to someone in the healthcare field other than a doctor.
Keith L. Martin | January 15, 2021 | Contributor Information
Overall, 69% of physicians say they have a spiritual or religious belief, similar to last year's results. Seven percent of physicians declined to answer.
Keith L. Martin | January 15, 2021 | Contributor Information
Nearly a quarter (24%) of physicians have no anxiety about the coming months of the pandemic. This is similar to findings from The U.S. National Pandemic Emotional Impact Report, a project by investigators at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Harvard Medical School, which found that 23% of Americans surveyed had no fear of a bleaker future.
"This speaks to a fundamentally positive attitude toward life, even in a pandemic, and echoes the research on resilience in physicians," said psychiatrist Myers. "Physicians who are not paralyzed by anxiety are in a good position to help their patients because they can be hopeful, empathic, and calming."
Keith L. Martin | January 15, 2021 | Contributor Information
Rheumatologists and immunologists more often reported high anxiety levels about the future, while plastic surgeons and nephrologists were at the lower end of the spectrum.
Keith L. Martin | January 15, 2021 | Contributor Information
Nearly half of all physicians take 3-4 weeks of vacation, while a fifth take 5 or more weeks away from their work. This is similar to the findings of the 2020 Medscape report.
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Keith L. Martin
Editorial Director, Medscape Business of Medicine
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