Emergency medicine physician burnout and wellness in Canada before COVID19: A national survey

Abstract

Introduction Emergency medicine (EM) is a high-risk specialty for burnout. COVID-19 has had and will continue to have important consequences on wellness and burnout for EM physicians in Canada. Baseline data are crucial to monitor the health of EM physicians in Canada, and evaluate any interventions designed to help during and after COVID-19. Objectives To describe the rates of burnout, depression, and suicidality in practicing EM physicians in Canada, just before the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A modified snowball method was used for survey distribution. Participants completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory – Health Services Tool (MBI-HSS), a screening measure for depression (PHQ-9), and a question regarding if the physician had ever or in the past 12 months contemplated suicide. Results A total of 384 respondent surveys were included in the final analysis: 86.1% (329/382) met at least one of the criteria for burnout, 58% (217/374) scored minimal to none on the PHQ-9 screening tool for depression, 14.3% (53/371) had contemplated suicide during their staff career in EM, and of those, 5.9% (22/371) had actively considered suicide in the past year. Conclusion Canadian EM physicians just before the COVID-19 pandemic had an alarming number of respondents meet the threshold for burnout, confirming EM as a high-risk specialty. This important baseline information can be used to monitor the physical and mental risks to EM physicians during and after COVID-19, and evaluate support for mental health and wellness, which is urgently needed now and post pandemic.

Wellness Review 2020, Part 2

“…Contrary to other studies on burnout and age which indicate a disadvantage with advancing years [58], Canadian EM Physicians aged 30 -39 were nearly four times more likely to suffer from burnout than those in their 40s [45]. A similar positive trend occurred in Australian physicians [59].…”

“…In Canadian emergency medicine (EM) physicians (n = 384), 86.1% met at least one of the criteria for burnout, and 14.3% had contemplated suicide during their career (5.9% had actively considered suicide in the past year) [45]. Physicians with any indication of depression were 44 times more likely to suffer from burnout [45]. In a survey of Canadian EM residents, 62% met the threshold for burnout and a staggering 14% contemplated suicide during their training [46].…”

Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in pediatric healthcare workers

“…HCWs are known for their stamina and emotional resilience in the workplace, however COVID-19 has changed the playing field. Pressures of the pandemic may add to the long-recognized problem of physician burnout (Yates, 2020), and emergency medicine physicians in particular are already at high-risk (Lim et al, 2020). Additional resources may be needed to address this growing issue among HCWs in order to preserve mental health and resilience, particularly among front-line workers (Santarone et al, 2020).…”

Emergency physician mental health during the subacute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic

“…[1][2][3][4] EPs pre-pandemic experienced chronic stress, perceived lack of control, inefficiency, and moral distress, which were all leading to burnout. 5 Tools that worked well to cope during the acute phase may not work well in the subacute phase, as natural decompression occurs and EPs face the unpredictability and chronicity of COVID-19. We propose that three important themes during the subacute phase are important to identify to support EP mental health: uncertainty, lack of control, and discord.…”