Gender Differences in Physician Burnout

Abstract

Introduction: Among all professionals, physicians suffer from some of the highest burnout rates. While physician burnout has recently come to the forefront of many media cycles because of the COVID-19 pandemic, these high rates of burnout have long persisted in the field of medicine. In this study, we evaluate general trends of physician burnout and analyze gender differences over the last half-decade. Methods: Data provided by Medscapes Annual Burnout and Depression Surveys was analyzed for differences in reported burnout rates among all physicians in the United States (2017-2021). Univariate logistic regression was performed in order to compare differences in burnout rates between the various years and between different genders. Results: Of the 71,000 physicians surveyed during the study period, the odds of reported burnout were significantly higher in 2018 (OR: 1.18, 95%CI 1.13-1.23), 2019 (OR: 1.09, 95%CI 1.04-1.14), 2020 (OR: 1.09, 95%CI 1.04-1.14), and 2021 (OR: 1.33, 95%CI 1.27-1.39) when compared to the year 2017. Over the five-year period, burnout was more commonly reported among female physicians (OR versus males: 1.65, 95%CI 1.60-1.70), with the effect estimate for burnout being greater among women versus men across all years as compared to 2017. In 2018 (versus 2017), odds of burnout among male physicians were 1.04, 95%CI 0.98-1.21, while ORfemales 1.08, 95%CI 1.00-1.16; 2019 ORmales 0.96, 95%CI 0.90-1.02, while ORfemales 1.00, 95%CI 0.93-1.07; 2020 ORmales 0.92, 95%CI 0.86-0.97 while ORfemales 1.13, 95%CI 1.04-1.22; and 2021 ORmales 1.13, 95%CI 1.07-1.21 while ORfemales 1.38, 95%CI 1.28-1.49. Conclusion: The general trend of increasing burnout rates, particularly among female physicians, highlights the need to implement modern solutions. Further investigation is warranted to discern specific variables & their impact on these findings, so these solutions can be optimized.