Doctors report feeling high levels of stress

The majority of U.S. physicians say they are moderately to severely stressed or burned out on an average day, according to a survey conducted by Cejka Search, a physician placement service, and Physician Wellness Services, a company that provides stress reduction services for doctors.

The top four reported external stress factors were the economy, healthcare reform, Medicare and Medicaid policies, and unemployed and underemployed patients. The top work-related stresses were administrative demands, long work hours, on-call schedules, and concerns about medical malpractice lawsuits.

Respondents to the September national survey said the stress resulted in declining job satisfaction, relocation, changing professions, fatigue, irritability, and moodiness. Fourteen percent said they had left a practice because of stress. Nearly 63% said their stress has increased moderately to dramatically in the past 3 years.