Fourteen percent of physicians reported their depression caused them to make errors in patient care they would not normally make, and five percent said these errors could harm patients, according to Medscape's first National Report on Physician Burnout and Depression.
Medscape asked more than 15,000 physicians across 29 specialties questions about their experiences with burnout and depression, which explored how depression affects physicians' relationships with colleagues and various factors that contribute to burnout. The report notes that some totals do not equal 100 percent due to rounding.
Here are six findings from the report.
1. When asked to rate factors that contribute to their depression on a scale of one (does not contribute at all) to seven (contributes significantly), both male and female physicians reported their job was the highest contributor (5.6 for each). Finances were the next highest contributor, ranking at 3.9 for men and 3.7 for women.
2. Thirty-three percent of depressed physicians said their depression causes them to be more easily exasperated by patients and 32 percent said their depression caused them to feel less engaged with their patients.
3. Forty-two percent of physicians reported exasperation or less engagement with peers and staff as a result of their depression and 37 percent said they express frustration around peers and staff. Only 22 percent said their depression did not affect these relationships.
4. Respondents who reported burnout could choose more than one contributing factor. Over half of respondents — 56 percent — chose an excess of bureaucratic tasks and 39 percent chose too many hours at work.
5. Nineteen percent of physicians who reported their depression described it as clinical, while a significantly higher percentage — 70 percent — described their depression as colloquial, or "feeling down."
6. When asked what would reduce their burnout, 35 percent of physicians said more money would help and 31 percent indicated they want a more manageable schedule.