PROVIDENCE – Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, United States physicians had been experiencing job-related burnout at rates of 40%, and many have dropped out of the profession.
Encouraging health care professionals to take care of themselves, first, in the face of increased workplace-based stress was one of the key messages Tuesday of a virtual summit presented by the Providence Business News in collaboration with Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island.
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Dr. Wendy Cohen, the physician evaluation director of Physician Health Services Inc., a subsidiary of the Massachusetts Medical Society, was keynote speaker. She emphasized that physicians need to recognize the symptoms of depression and burnout and take steps to secure their own health. Physician burnout is a syndrome that is characterized by symptoms including emotional exhaustion, cynicism and reduced effectiveness.
“In order to be better physicians we have to take care of ourselves,” Cohen said. “Especially after the punishing year we’ve had. It’s not a luxury. It’s a necessity.”
Cohen, a board-certified psychiatrist, and Kathleen Boyd, physician health program director at the Rhode Island Medical Society, spoke on resources and practical ways to recover from stress and professional burnout.
A second summit will be held Sept. 9, and led by Boyd, who will focus on all workers in the health care industry.
Cohen pointed out that while everyone has experienced stress in the pandemic, burnout and depression are different and have more serious implications. Just as in the general population, physicians may turn to alcohol consumption or other drugs.
During the pandemic, sales of alcohol rose and overdoses increased by 18%. Physician suicide also is a concern. The rate of physician suicide is more than double that of the general population, Cohen reported.
Resources that exist for physicians are designed to maintain their privacy. The Physician Health Services has no reporting role to the board of medicine or licensure, Cohen said, a fear that is often cited by doctors who say they are reluctant to seek help when they experience depression or symptoms of burnout. “Often, physicians don’t recognize it in themselves,” she said of episodes of depression.
In addition to reaching out to the professional health services available to physicians, doctors can take several steps to restore a healthier balance to their lives. This includes focusing on what they can control, eating enough healthy foods, getting enough sleep and limiting screen-time and social media. The health services also offer confidential support groups.
Sleep itself is critical, and physicians often say they don’t get enough because their work hours are long, Cohen said. But without enough quality sleep, efficiency is reduced, so it does become a work need.
“Sleep is a powerful tool for mood and efficiency,” she said.
The summit included confidential participation by health care practitioners, who were able to ask submitted questions. One person asked: isn’t everyone burned out due to the pandemic?
In terms of specific symptoms, no, said Cohen. Everyone is experiencing stress. But the good news is that burnout is not inevitable and physicians can take active steps to feel better. “There are a lot of things that can help,” she said.
Mary MacDonald is a staff writer for the PBN. Contact her at macdonald@pbn.com.
