Physician survey reveals widespread burnout

A recent survey of physicians in the United States finds high levels of occupational burnout — with white physicians more likely to report burnout than those from marginalized ethnic or racial groups.Feeling emotionally exhausted and unable to cope are common signs of burnout, a response to a prolonged period of stress. In the U.S., levels of burnout are consistently higher in this group than in the general population of employed people.Yet there is limited understanding of how burnout varies among physicians, particularly among people who are marginalized due to race or ethnicity, and who therefore face the additional challenges of exclusion and discrimination.In light of this, a recent study explored how various aspects of a physician’s experience, including burnout, varied according to race and ethnicity.The survey investigated levels of burnout, depression, career satisfaction, and work-life balance among more than 4,000 physicians in the U.S. The respondents were white, Asian, “Hispanic/Latinx”, or Black.The odds of reported burnout were significantly lower among Asian, Hispanic/Latinx, and Black physicians, compared with white counterparts.