Physician Wellness Across the Professional Spectrum

Russell Blackwelder; Kristen Hood Watson; John R Freedy

doi:10.1016/j.pop.2016.01.004

Physician Wellness Across the Professional Spectrum

Prim Care. 2016 Jun;43(2):355-61. doi: 10.1016/j.pop.2016.01.004.

Authors

Russell Blackwelder¹, Kristen Hood Watson², John R Freedy²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Family Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 9228 Medical Plaza Drive, Charleston, SC 29406, USA. Electronic address: blackwr@musc.edu.
² Department of Family Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 9228 Medical Plaza Drive, Charleston, SC 29406, USA.

PMID: 27262013
DOI: 10.1016/j.pop.2016.01.004

Abstract

Physician wellness and burnout are areas of increasing exploration. Physicians are more likely than the general population to suffer the effects of burnout and neglect their own wellness; medicine and its training are deeply engrained with the care of others, often to the detriment of self. The effects vary based on the stage of career for medical trainees and physicians. However, strategies exist to screen for and help alleviate the negative effects of burnout and to improve wellness among physicians. This will continue to be an area warranting further exploration despite increasing awareness regarding the health and well-being of physicians.

Keywords: Burnout; Career stage and health; Physician well-being; Wellness.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Burnout, Professional / diagnosis
Burnout, Professional / epidemiology*
Burnout, Professional / therapy
Health Status*
Humans
Mental Health*
Physicians / psychology*
Stress, Psychological / diagnosis
Stress, Psychological / epidemiology*
Stress, Psychological / therapy