Physician Burnout Through the Female Lens: A Silent Crisis

Abstract

Physician burnout, the emotional exhaustion and depersonalization that arises from job fatigue and dissatisfaction, is a rapidly growing problem. Although burnout has been a recognized problem for decades, our healthcare system has yet to devise a sustainable solution. Additionally, burnout does not affect all physicians in the same way- women physicians have disproportionately higher rates of burnout than male physicians. Burnout poses a tremendous risk to our public's health with its severe and debilitating effects on both physician and patient health alike. We must intervene as early as medical school and residency at both the systemic and individual levels to combat burnout. Clinical leadership training might be one sustainable approach to begin addressing burnout in female physicians.

Relationships between job satisfaction, organizational commitment, burnout and job performance of healthcare professionals in a district-level health care system of Shenzhen, China

“…First, female respondents report lower levels of job satisfaction, organizational commitment and job performance than male respondents, indicating that managers in the medical group should pay more attentions to female healthcare professionals. Previous studies in both China and the US also found lower job satisfaction, lower organizational commitment and higher burnout of female physicians than those of male physicians ( Jia et al, 2013 ; Yeluru et al, 2022 ). And the studies implied that disproportionate burden of household duties, lack of leadership opportunities, lack of support during maternity leave and lactation had tremendous effect on female physicians’ experience with job satisfaction and burnout ( Jia et al, 2013 ; Yeluru et al, 2022 ).…”

“…Previous studies in both China and the US also found lower job satisfaction, lower organizational commitment and higher burnout of female physicians than those of male physicians (Jia et al, 2013;Yeluru et al, 2022). And the studies implied that disproportionate burden of household duties, lack of leadership opportunities, lack of support during maternity leave and lactation had tremendous effect on female physicians' experience with job satisfaction and burnout (Jia et al, 2013;Yeluru et al, 2022). In the past decades, family planning policy in China has undergone gradual adjustment, from one-child policy to two-child policy for couples who were both one-child, to two-child policy for all couples, and to three-child policy for all couples (Zhang et al, 2022).…”

“…Previous studies in both China and the US also found lower job satisfaction, lower organizational commitment and higher burnout of female physicians than those of male physicians (Jia et al, 2013;Yeluru et al, 2022). And the studies implied that disproportionate burden of household duties, lack of leadership opportunities, lack of support during maternity leave and lactation had tremendous effect on female physicians' experience with job satisfaction and burnout (Jia et al, 2013;Yeluru et al, 2022).…”

Exploring National Trends and Organizational Predictors of Violence and Mistreatment From Patients and Visitors

“…However, these rates are not directly comparable, as one captures stress from violence from patients and the other captures injury from both patients and coworkers if it resulted in days missed from work. Many healthcare workers will ignore or endure psychological and often physical discomfort to continue delivering patient care, which might also lead to underreporting (Yeluru et al, 2022). The vast underreporting (or exemption from reporting by certain entities) of this issue at the national level poses challenges for healthcare organizations and policymakers engaged in advocacy of protections for healthcare workers.…”

What if I could become the doctor I always wanted to be?

“…However, the underlying problem and its consequences are likely generalizable and call for an active role of the EAN in supporting the desired change process through active participation and education, including the implementation of clinician leadership training [9]. In conclusion, medicine-and our growing discipline of neurology in particular-is at a crossroads where doctors and neurologists can and should choose to guide the direction of change and become the doctors they always wanted to be.…”