Health care providers fear seeking mental health support

Burnout still hurting physicians: ©Colours-pic - stock.adobe.com

Despite burnout peaking during the COVID-19 pandemic, physicians continue to struggle with its effects, according to the latest Barometer survey from Sermo, a global health care engagement platform. The survey found that 75% of physicians have witnessed a colleague experience burnout in the past three months, highlighting an ongoing crisis in the profession.

One of the most alarming findings is the reluctance of health care providers to seek mental health support due to fear of professional repercussions. More than four in five (82%) surveyed physicians cited concerns over professional consequences as a barrier to seeking help, a number that rises to 95% among psychiatrists. While progress has been made—with over half of U.S. states removing mental health treatment questions from medical licensing applications—many physicians still hesitate to seek the support they need.

Zachary Horne, MD, a radiation oncologist with the Allegheny Health Network Cancer Institute and a member of the Sermo Medical Advisory Board, emphasized the need for institutional support and collective advocacy to tackle burnout. “As physicians, we are our best advocates, and we need to protect ourselves from ourselves because when there's work to do, we're going to do it. That's why we got into medicine in the first place. We're here to take care of people, but we need to set some boundaries and we need to have allies with our administration to be able to achieve that goal,” Horne said.

Key drivers of physician burnout

The survey identified the top contributors to physician burnout, pointing to specific areas where health care systems and policymakers must intervene. The most pressing issues include:

• Administrative workload – Ranked as the number one cause of burnout, with 67% of physicians prioritizing its reduction.
• Flexible work arrangements – Favored by 56% of respondents as a necessary step toward better work-life balance.
• Confidential mental health support programs – Recognized as essential to breaking the stigma surrounding mental health care among healthcare providers.

Burnout has led many physicians to reconsider their career paths. Nearly half (43%) of respondents reported they are actively pursuing or exploring alternative or hybrid career options outside full-time clinical practice.

Patient care suffers as burnout persists

Physician burnout is not just a workplace issue—it directly impacts patient care. Surveyed physicians ranked patient engagement quality as the most affected aspect of their practice, with 42% admitting they feel less empathetic toward patients and 45% reducing communication outside regular hours.

Moreover, burnout has contributed to a growing phenomenon of “quiet quitting” among doctors. The survey found that 79% of physicians believe health systems are failing to recognize and address this issue. Physicians reported engaging in behaviors that could have long-term consequences for patient care and institutional efficiency, including:

• Minimizing documentation efforts (43%)
• Reducing patient hours (37%)
• Declining leadership roles (43%)
• Avoiding professional development opportunities (37%)

Despite widespread burnout, only 22% of physicians reported taking more time off to recover.

Horne stressed the importance of practical solutions, such as leveraging technology to reduce administrative burdens. “We need to have hard stops, so that all of our documentation is done, maybe with the assistance of artificial intelligence to simplify tasks that currently take us 15 or 20 minutes per patient. If we can achieve some boundaries without sacrificing the quality of patient care, then I think we can really make some advancements in terms of reducing physician burnout,” he said.

The 38th edition of Sermo’s Barometer survey was conducted from March 10-11, 2025, and included responses from 603 health care professionals across multiple specialties, including cardiology, dermatology, neurology, oncology, and psychiatry.