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Research papers on Physician burnout

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  1. Burnout and Work Engagement: The JD–R Approach

    Arnold B. Bakker, Evangelia Demerouti, Ana Isabel Sanz‐Vergel · 2014 · Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior · 2,433 citations

    Whereas burnout refers to a state of exhaustion and cynicism toward work, engagement is defined as a positive motivational state of vigor, dedication, and absorption. In this article, we discuss the main definitions and conceptualizations of both concepts used in the literature. In addition, we review the most important antecedents of burnout and work engagement by examining situational and individual predictors. We also review the possible consequences of burnout and engagement and integrate the research findings using job demands–resources theory. Although both burnout and work engagement are related to important job-related outcomes, burnout seems to be more strongly related to health out

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  2. Prevalence of Burnout Among Physicians

    Lisa S. Rotenstein, Matthew Torre, Marco A. Ramos, et al. · 2018 · JAMA · 1,920 citations

    Importance: Burnout is a self-reported job-related syndrome increasingly recognized as a critical factor affecting physicians and their patients. An accurate estimate of burnout prevalence among physicians would have important health policy implications, but the overall prevalence is unknown. Objective: To characterize the methods used to assess burnout and provide an estimate of the prevalence of physician burnout. Data Sources and Study Selection: Systematic search of EMBASE, ERIC, MEDLINE/PubMed, psycARTICLES, and psycINFO for studies on the prevalence of burnout in practicing physicians (ie, excluding physicians in training) published before June 1, 2018. Data Extraction and Synthesis: B

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  4. Burnout in nursing: a theoretical review

    Chiara Dall’Ora, Jane Ball, Maria Reinius, et al. · 2020 · Human Resources for Health · 1,159 citations

    BACKGROUND: Workforce studies often identify burnout as a nursing 'outcome'. Yet, burnout itself-what constitutes it, what factors contribute to its development, and what the wider consequences are for individuals, organisations, or their patients-is rarely made explicit. We aimed to provide a comprehensive summary of research that examines theorised relationships between burnout and other variables, in order to determine what is known (and not known) about the causes and consequences of burnout in nursing, and how this relates to theories of burnout. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO. We included quantitative primary empirical studies (published in English) which examined a

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  5. Prioritizing the Mental Health and Well-Being of Healthcare Workers: An Urgent Global Public Health Priority

    Lene E. Søvold, John A. Naslund, Antonis A. Kousoulis, et al. · 2021 · Frontiers in Public Health · 986 citations

    The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on health systems in most countries, and in particular, on the mental health and well-being of health workers on the frontlines of pandemic response efforts. The purpose of this article is to provide an evidence-based overview of the adverse mental health impacts on healthcare workers during times of crisis and other challenging working conditions and to highlight the importance of prioritizing and protecting the mental health and well-being of the healthcare workforce, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. First, we provide a broad overview of the elevated risk of stress, burnout, moral injury, depression, trauma, and oth

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  6. RETRACTED: Association Between Physician Burnout and Patient Safety, Professionalism, and Patient Satisfaction

    Maria Panagioti, Keith Geraghty, Judith Johnson, et al. · 2018 · JAMA Internal Medicine · 957 citations

    Importance: Physician burnout has taken the form of an epidemic that may affect core domains of health care delivery, including patient safety, quality of care, and patient satisfaction. However, this evidence has not been systematically quantified. Objective: To examine whether physician burnout is associated with an increased risk of patient safety incidents, suboptimal care outcomes due to low professionalism, and lower patient satisfaction. Data Sources: MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycInfo, and CINAHL databases were searched until October 22, 2017, using combinations of the key terms physicians, burnout, and patient care. Detailed standardized searches with no language restriction were undertaken.

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  7. Changes in Burnout and Satisfaction With Work-Life Integration in Physicians and the General US Working Population Between 2011 and 2017

    Tait D. Shanafelt, Colin P. West, Christine A. Sinsky, et al. · 2019 · Mayo Clinic Proceedings · 925 citations

    Objective To evaluate the prevalence of burnout and satisfaction with work-life integration among physicians and other US workers in 2017 compared with 2011 and 2014. Participants and Methods Between October 12, 2017, and March 15, 2018, we surveyed US physicians and a probability-based sample of the US working population using methods similar to our 2011 and 2014 studies. A secondary survey with intensive follow-up was conducted in a sample of nonresponders to evaluate response bias. Burnout and work-life integration were measured using standard tools. Results Of 30,456 physicians who received an invitation to participate, 5197 (17.1%) completed surveys. Among the 476 physicians in the seco

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  8. Burnout in Healthcare Workers: Prevalence, Impact and Preventative Strategies

    Stefan De Hert · 2020 · Local and Regional Anesthesia · 697 citations

    Abstract: Approximately, one in three physicians is experiencing burnout at any given time. This may not only interfere with own wellbeing but also with the quality of delivered care. This narrative review discusses several aspects of the burnout syndrome: prevalence, symptoms, etiopathogenesis, diagnosis, impact, and strategies on how to deal with the problem. Keywords: burnout, healthcare worker, prevalence, impact, symptoms, prevention

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  9. The Impact of COVID-19 on Healthcare Worker Wellness: A Scoping Review

    J. Shreffler, Jessica Petrey, M. Huecker · 2020 · Western Journal of Emergency Medicine · 637 citations

    At the heart of the unparalleled crisis of COVID-19, healthcare workers (HCWs) face several challenges treating patients with COVID-19: reducing the spread of infection; developing suitable short-term strategies; and formulating long-term plans. The psychological burden and overall wellness of HCWs has received heightened awareness in news and research publications. The purpose of this study was to provide a review on current publications measuring the effects of COVID-19 on wellness of healthcare providers to inform interventional strategies. Between April 6–May 17, 2020, we conducted systematic searches using combinations of these keywords and synonyms in conjunction with the controlled vo

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  10. Workplace interventions to improve well-being and reduce burnout for nurses, physicians and allied healthcare professionals: a systematic review

    Catherine Cohen, Silvia Pignata, Eva Bezak, et al. · 2023 · BMJ Open · 478 citations

    There is a growing need for interventions to improve well-being in healthcare workers, particularly since the onset of COVID-19. OBJECTIVES: To synthesise evidence since 2015 on the impact of interventions designed to address well-being and burnout in physicians, nurses and allied healthcare professionals. DESIGN: Systematic literature review. DATA SOURCES: Medline, Embase, Emcare, CINAHL, PsycInfo and Google Scholar were searched in May-October 2022. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES: Studies that primarily investigated burnout and/or well-being and reported quantifiable preintervention and postintervention outcomes using validated well-being measures were included. DATA EXTRACTION

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  11. The Impact of COVID-19 on Physician Burnout Globally: A Review

    Shabbir Amanullah, Rashmi Ramesh Shankar · 2020 · Healthcare · 200 citations

    Background: The current pandemic, COVID-19, has added to the already high levels of stress that medical professionals face globally. While most health professionals have had to shoulder the burden, physicians are not often recognized as being vulnerable and hence little attention is paid to morbidity and mortality within this group. Objective: To analyse and summarise the current knowledge on factors/potential factors contributing to burnout amongst healthcare professionals amidst the pandemic. This review also makes a few recommendations on how best to prepare intervention programmes for physicians. Methods: In August 2020, a systematic review was performed using the database Medline and Em

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  12. Physician Burnout: Evidence-Based Roadmaps to Prioritizing and Supporting Personal Wellbeing

    Louise Underdahl, Mary Ditri, L. Duthely · 2024 · Journal of Healthcare Leadership · 195 citations

    Abstract Current literature validates the magnitude of physician burnout as a complex challenge affecting physicians, patients, and healthcare delivery that mandates science-informed intervention. Physician burnout affects both individual practitioners and patient care delivery. Interventions, defined as roadmaps, to prioritizing and supporting personal wellbeing encompass organizational, individual, and moral injury, with virtually no consensus on optimal approaches. The purpose of this conceptual review is to present evidence-based innovative insights on contributing factors, mitigation, and designing adaptive systems to combat and prevent burnout. Science-informed policy initiatives that

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  14. The effects of different types of organisational workplace mental health interventions on mental health and wellbeing in healthcare workers: a systematic review

    Birgit Aust, Caleb Leduc, J. Cresswell-Smith, et al. · 2024 · International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health · 55 citations

    To determine if and which types of organisational interventions conducted in small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) in healthcare are effective on mental health and wellbeing. Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched six scientific databases, assessed the methodological quality of eligible studies using QATQS and grouped them into six organisational intervention types for narrative synthesis. Only controlled studies with at least one follow-up were eligible. We identified 22 studies (23 articles) mainly conducted in hospitals with 16 studies rated of strong or moderate methodological quality. More than two thirds (68%) of the studies reported improvements in at least one primary outcome (m

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  16. The “Healthcare Workers’ Wellbeing (Benessere Operatori)” Project: A Picture of the Mental Health Conditions of Italian Healthcare Workers during the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic

    V. D. Di Mattei, G. Perego, F. Milano, et al. · 2021 · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · 25 citations

    During the last year, the COVID-19 outbreak put all the healthcare workers around the world at risk of physical and psychological sequelae. The general purpose of the present study was to assess the mental health of Italian healthcare workers during the COVID-19 outbreak and to identify high-risk groups. Here, we present results from the baseline assessment of the “Healthcare workers’ wellbeing (Benessere Operatori)” project on a sample of 1055 healthcare workers. Participants completed the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21, the Insomnia Severity Index, the Impact of Event Scale-Revised, the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Healthcare workers who

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  18. The “Healthcare Workers’ Wellbeing [Benessere Operatori]” Project: A Longitudinal Evaluation of Psychological Responses of Italian Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

    G. Perego, F. Cugnata, C. Brombin, et al. · 2022 · Journal of Clinical Medicine · 21 citations

    Background: COVID-19 forced healthcare workers to work in unprecedented and critical circumstances, exacerbating already-problematic and stressful working conditions. The “Healthcare workers’ wellbeing (Benessere Operatori)” project aimed at identifying psychological and personal factors, influencing individuals’ responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: 291 healthcare workers took part in the project by answering an online questionnaire twice (after the first wave of COVID-19 and during the second wave) and completing questions on socio-demographic and work-related information, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21, the Insomnia Severity Index, the Impact of Event Scale-Revised, the Sta

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  19. ‘It’s like juggling fire daily’: Well-being, workload and burnout in the British NHS - A survey of 721 physicians

    C. Dominic, D. Gopal, A. Sidhu · 2021 · Work · 18 citations

    BACKGROUND: Physicians are at higher risk for burnout than workers in other fields. Burnout negatively impacts physician health, care delivery and healthcare cost. Existing studies quantify the workforce affected by burnout whilst qualitative studies use specific specialty groups limiting generalisability of solutions. This is important given increased stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to understand the causes of work-related burnout, identify what supportive resources physicians utilise, and to propose solutions. METHODS: A questionnaire was circulated between March and May 2019 via the ‘Doctors’ Association UK’ website and social media. RESULTS: 721 responses

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  20. Emotional demands, burnout, and mental wellbeing in healthcare, care, and service work: the mediating role of surface acting across age

    Tímea Zsuzsanna Popucza, L. Eriksson, Mårten Eriksson · 2025 · Frontiers in Organizational Psychology · 16 citations

    This study examines how emotional demands and surface acting contribute to burnout and mental wellbeing among professionals in healthcare, care, and service roles. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with 1,506 participants involved in frequent patient, care-receiver, or customer interactions. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), we tested a serial mediation model. Surface acting mediated the relationship between emotional demands and burnout, defined as exhaustion and disengagement. In turn, these burnout dimensions mediated a negative association with mental wellbeing. These effects were consistent across professional groups, indicating the widespr

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  21. The effect of job and personal demands and resources on healthcare workers’ wellbeing: A cross-sectional study

    C. Yousef, Ali Farooq, Gigi Amateau, et al. · 2024 · PLOS ONE · 15 citations

    The COVID-19 pandemic presented many psychological stressors which affected healthcare worker wellbeing. The aim of this study was to understand the factors that affect the wellbeing of healthcare professionals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia using Job-Demand and Resource (JD-R) Model. The proposal model consisted of demand factors (Work load—job demand, loneliness—personal demand), support factors (organizational support—job resource, and resilience—personal resource), mediators (burnout and work engagement), and outcome (wellbeing) A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted across 276 healthcare workers from hospitals and primary healthcare centers, including healthcare professional

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  22. Burnout Among Healthcare Workers: Insights for Holistic Well-Being

    Carina Fernandes, Carla Barros, Pilar Baylina · 2025 · Healthcare · 11 citations

    Background/Objectives: In the healthcare sector, burnout has become a critical concern due to high job demands and emotional strain. The main objective of the study is to examine the predictive role of psychosocial work-related risks in the development of burnout. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, using a snowball recruitment method, from May to September 2025, among 154 healthcare workers. Data were collected using the psychosocial risk factors scale (INSAT_ERPS) and the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) and analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics to analyze the predictive role of the psychosocial risk on burnout dimensions. Results: Psychosocial risk factors are cons

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  23. Psychological wellbeing and the association with burnout in a cohort of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

    Jacqueline Bannon, C. Evans, M. Freedman, et al. · 2022 · Frontiers in Health Services · 9 citations

    Burnout, depression, and anxiety are prevalent among healthcare workers (HCWs) during the COVID-19 pandemic and have been previously shown to contribute to poor health outcomes and reduced quality of care. Positive psychological constructs such as positive affect and meaning and purpose are related to resilience in the face of significant stress. No studies have examined these associations among a cohort of HCWs during this pandemic. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of depression, anxiety, positive affect, and meaning and purpose with burnout among HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic. We utilized data from a cross-sectional survey conducted between September 29-December

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