Traumatized attendings - When the doctor has the disease

Theresa N Jackson; Diane L Jackson; Peter R Nelson; Dennis Y Kim; Vaidehi Agrawal; Michael S Truitt

doi:10.1016/j.amjsurg.2021.05.010

Traumatized attendings - When the doctor has the disease

Am J Surg. 2022 Apr;223(4):626-632. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2021.05.010. Epub 2021 May 26.

Authors

Theresa N Jackson¹, Diane L Jackson², Peter R Nelson³, Dennis Y Kim⁴, Vaidehi Agrawal⁵, Michael S Truitt⁶

Affiliations

¹ University of Oklahoma Tulsa, Department of Surgery, Tulsa, OK, USA. Electronic address: Theresa-Jackson@ouhsc.edu.
² Reston, VA, USA. Electronic address: jacksondiane67@yahoo.com.
³ University of Oklahoma Tulsa, Department of Vascular Surgery, Tulsa, OK, USA.
⁴ Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Department of Trauma Surgery, Torrance, CA, USA.
⁵ Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
⁶ Methodist Dallas Medical Center, Department of Trauma Surgery, Dallas, USA.

PMID: 34116794
DOI: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2021.05.010

Abstract

Background: This study aims to compare PTSD prevalence between seven medical specialties and to identify potential risk factors for PTSD.

Methods: A cross-sectional national survey of attending physicians (n = 2216) was conducted and screened for PTSD using the Primary Care PTSD Screen. Stepwise multivariable regression analysis with backward elimination identified potential risk factors.

Results: Overall prevalence of PTSD was 14% and ranged from 7% to 18% for psychiatrists and OBGYNs, respectively (p = 0.004). Six potential risk factors for PTSD included: emotional exhaustion, job dissatisfaction, lack of autonomy, working >60 h per week, poor camaraderie, and female gender (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: The prevalence of PTSD in attending physicians is more than double that of the general population. Higher risk specialties include OBGYN and general surgery. Specialty-specific interventions targeted at reducing physician burnout and improving the physician work-environment are needed to improve physician wellness and reduce PTSD.

Keywords: Job satisfaction; PTSD; Physician wellness; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Work-life balance.

MeSH terms

Burnout, Professional* / psychology
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Humans
Job Satisfaction
Medical Staff, Hospital
Physicians* / psychology
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic* / etiology
Surveys and Questionnaires