White physicians reported higher rates of work-related burnout compared to Hispanic/Latinx, Black and Asian physicians, according to a study published Aug. 7 in JAMA Network Open.
Researchers analyzed survey data from 4,424 U.S. physicians collected between Oct. 12, 2017, and March 15, 2018. Findings examined the association between physician race/ethnicity and occupational burnout, depressive symptoms, career satisfaction and work-life integration. Most physicians (78.7 percent) were non-Hispanic white, while non-Hispanic Asian, Hispanic/Latinx, and non-Hispanic Black physicians accounted for 12.3 percent, 6.3 percent and 2.8 percent of the sample, respectively.
Three key findings:
1. Burnout was observed in 44.7 percent of white physicians, 41.7 percent of Asian physicians, 38.5 percent of Black physicians and 37.4 percent of Hispanic/Latinx physicians.
2. Black physicians were more likely to report satisfaction with work-life integration compared with white physicians.
3. No differences in depressive symptoms or career satisfaction were observed by race/ethnicity.
More research investigating factors underlying the observed patterns in physician wellness must be done, according to the study authors.