The Physician’s Tears: Experiences and Attitudes of Crying Among Physicians and Medical Interns

Abstract

We examined several aspects of the crying experiences of physicians and medical interns, including the most common reasons to cry in the workplace, and their perceptions of and attitudes towards crying in the workplace and in the presence of a patient. A sample of Dutch physicians and medical interns (Nphysicians = 1068 and Nmedical interns = 302 and for the full version Nphysicians = 776 and Nmedical interns = 181) completed an especially designed anonymous online questionnaire about experiences with crying in the workplace, and perceptions of and attitudes towards crying in the workplace and in the presence of patients. Crying is a rather frequent behavior among physicians, in particular when they have to deal with the severe suffering of patients and their relatives. We found a considerable variety in the attitudes and perception of crying in the work setting, although there was also much agreement that crying in the presence of a patient is only appropriate if it is over the condition of the patient. Physicians reported a slightly more positive attitude and a stronger need for more attention to this topic in training and education than medical interns. Crying in the medical setting is a common, though understudied phenomenon. There is a strong need for further research on this topic in order to understand it better and how and when it might interfere with or facilitate with the therapeutic process. We strongly feel that currently the time is ripe for this topic because in particular the physicians expressed a greater need for more attention to this topic in training and the medical interns showed signs of, perhaps unhealthy, suppression of their emotions.

Tears do not influence competence in general, but only under specific circumstances: A systematic investigation across 41 countries.

“…An illustrative example of such a context is the work setting. Studies show that crying at work may be considered inappropriate and associated with negative evaluation of the crier in terms of competence and competence-related characteristics (Elsbach & Bechky, 2018; Fischer et al, 2013; Janssens et al, 2019). For instance, Elsbach and Bechky (2018) demonstrated that women crying in professional work settings were perceived as emotionally unstable and unprofessional because they were expected to suppress their emotions and refrain from behaviors that may interfere with work.…”

Are doctors allowed to cry at work?

“…Furthermore, crying can be a powerful way for doctors to connect with their patients and demonstrate empathy. Patients and their families often appreciate a doctor who is willing to share and thus validate their emotions [1,3]. By allowing doctors to cry, we can improve the doctor-patient relationship and ultimately improve the quality of care that patients receive.…”

“…Doctors are expected to maintain a level of professionalism and control in their interactions with patients. Crying may be seen as a sign of weakness or lack of professionalism, which could erode the trust and confidence that patients have in their doctors [2,3].…”

“…Additionally, doctors who cry may be perceived as being too emotionally invested in their patients, which could cloud their judgement and lead to poor decision-making [3]. In some cases, doctors may need to make difficult and emotionally charged decisions, such as whether to continue aggressive treatment for a patient who is unlikely to recover.…”

A clinical practice review of crying research.

“…In the therapeutic setting, it is not only the patients who cry. Indeed, tears are also not uncommon among therapists and other health professionals (Blume-Marcovici et al, 2017; Janssens, Sweerts, & Vingerhoets, 2019). For example, ’t Lam and colleagues (2018) reported that as many as 87.4% of their large sample of over 800 mental health providers endorsed having cried at least once during a therapy session (with many likely crying more than once), with no significant difference between male and female therapists.…”