Sleep Disorder Among Doctors Associated with Burnout

According to this new study by JAMA Network, physicians who may have a sleep disorder may be likelier to also experience burnout. Physicians’ mental health concerns affect the quality of life of caregivers, patient safety, health care expenditures, and occupational turnover. Having trouble sleeping is a predictor of depression, and insufficient sleep may contribute to the development of burnout. Sadly, more than half of US physicians report burnout.

Of the more than 1,000 doctors who completed a sleep disorder screening program as part of a study, almost a third screened positive for at least one sleep disorder, with the most common being insomnia. Nearly 50% of the doctors also reported low levels of professional satisfaction. At the same time, those with at least one sleep disorder were nearly four times more likely to also report burnout and half as likely to report professional fulfillment.