More than half of physician assistants say their employer doesn't recognize burnout and related issues among their staff, according to a new Medscape survey.
The report, "Finding Renewed Resilience: Physician Assistant Burnout & Depression Report 2024," surveyed 1,502 physician assistants in the U.S. Participants were invited to complete the online survey in March and April.
When asked whether their employer recognizes burnout problems, 51% said, "No." Just under one-third said they were unsure and 22% said their employer does acknowledge the issue among staff.
Four more key findings from the report:
- The percentage of PAs who report feeling burned out has dipped slightly over the past few years. This year, 35% indicated feelings of burnout, down from 37% in 2022.
- Twenty-three percent of respondents said they feel both burned out and depressed.
- Bureaucratic tasks and insufficient compensation were the top contributors to PA burnout, at 58% and 46%, respectively. When asked what would help most in mitigating burnout, 52% said higher pay and 41% said lighter patient loads.
- Of PAs who reported depression, 70% said job burnout was the top factor contributing to their condition.