Half of Physicians Report Losing Control of Their Emotions During the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic is hitting everyone hard, and physicians are no exception. A new report from the nonprofit The Physicians’ Foundation finds that half of doctors have experienced what they characterized as inappropriate anger, tearfulness, or anxiety over the pandemic’s impact on their practice or employment. The report also reveals that nearly 1 in 4 physicians (22%) know a physician who committed suicide and the majority (58%) express feelings of burnout.

The report, which was compiled based on responses from more than 2,300 physicians surveyed in mid-August, also states that nearly 1 in 5 physicians have increased their alcohol, prescription, or illicit medicine intake as a result of the pandemic. More than three-quarters of the doctors surveyed said the general public’s noncompliance of mask-wearing and other recommendations is their number one source of frustration.