1 in 5 physicians are depressed, survey says 

Twenty-one percent of physicians reported being depressed in 2022, according to Medscape's "Physician Suicide Report 2022" published March 4.

Medscape surveyed 13,069 physicians in 29 specialties from June 29 to Sept. 26, 2021. 

Here are five stats to know:

1. Of the physicians who said they were depressed, 24 percent cited clinical depression and 64 percent said they had colloquial depression. 

2. About 10 percent of physicians said they had thought about or attempted suicide, down from 22 percent in 2020 and 14 percent in 2019.  

3. Nine percent of male physicians reported suicidal thoughts compared to 11 percent of female physicians. 

4. Pathologists (13 percent), general surgeons (12 percent) and oncologists (12 percent) were the specialist groups with the highest rates of suicidal thoughts. 

5. Millennials who chose to disclose their suicidal thoughts more often turned to family members, according to the survey, while baby boomers more often turned to therapists.

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Featured Webinars

Featured Whitepapers

Featured Podcast