The COVID-19 is placing a heavy burden on U.S. physicians, with many reporting feeling hopeless, angry or burned out, according to a survey from the Physicians Foundation.
The foundation surveyed 2,334 physicians nationwide Aug. 17-25 about how the pandemic has affected their well-being. Thirty-six percent of them practiced primary care, and 64 percent were in other specialties.
Five survey findings:
1. Half of physicians said they've experienced inappropriate anger, tearfulness or anxiety over how the pandemic is affecting their practice or employment.
2. Thirty percent said they feel hopeless or that they have no purpose due to the pandemic's effects on their practice or work.
3. Fifty-eight percent of physicians expressed feelings of burnout, up from 40 percent in 2018.
4. A majority of respondents (78 percent) cited the public's lack of compliance with social- distancing measures or mask-wearing was their biggest source of frustration amid the pandemic.
5. Thirteen percent of physicians have sought care for mental health issues related to the pandemic.
View the full survey here.
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