Medscape Physician Burnout & Depression Report

According to the Medscape Physician Burnout & Depression Report 2023, the overall rate of persistent physician burnout and depression increased to 53% this past year up from 47% in 2021 and nearly 80% of the physicians described their burnout level as moderate to severe. In this year’s survey, over 9,100 physicians (across more than the 29 specialties shown below) told poignant stories about how burnout and depression harm personal and patient relationships, and that their levels of frustration, sadness, and anger are widespread.

Which Physicians Are Most Burned Out

Today, the 53% of physicians personally dealing with burnout and depression represents a significant increase from the Medscape Report five years ago (before COVID-19 crashed onto the scene). Also, 23% of physicians now report depression compared with only 15% of respondents five years ago.

The specialties most effected have shifted somewhat. Five years ago, 47% of Family Medicine physicians said they were burned out. Today it is 57%. Emergency Medicine (now at 65%), was less impacted in 2018 (at 45%).

Although burnout consistently afflicts a greater percentage of female physicians than male physicians, the numbers have risen notably since 2018, when 38% of men and 48% of women reported burnout. This year the burnout figures found 46% of male doctors and 63% of female doctors were afflicted with burnout.

Speaking directly to the challenges facing today’s healthcare professionals, curriculum developer and faculty director Leonard Perlmutter says, “You became a doctor because you care about people. You work hard and truly want to serve your patients and profession in addition to experiencing a rewarding home life. But as a physician you are subject to many stressors: overwork, cumbersome regulations, EMR and coding requirements, medical liability, on-call issues, lack of sleep, hospital politics, and frustrations with the reimbursement structure. But regardless of how challenging your circumstances might feel today, the 12th annual Heart and Science of Yoga® CME Conference will provide you a set of practical tools that can enable you to improve your job satisfaction and work-life balance, while reducing burnout and feelings of anger, depression, stress and exhaustion.”

AMI Classes for July - August 2023