Prevalence and Professional Impact of Mental Health Conditions Among Cardiologists

Garima Sharma; Shiavax J Rao; Pamela S Douglas; Anne Rzeszut; Dipti Itchhaporia; Malissa J Wood; Khurram Nasir; Roger S Blumenthal; Athena Poppas; Jeffrey Kuvin; Andrew P Miller; Roxana Mehran; Michael Valentine; Richard F Summers; Laxmi S Mehta

doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2022.11.025

Prevalence and Professional Impact of Mental Health Conditions Among Cardiologists

J Am Coll Cardiol. 2023 Feb 14;81(6):574-586. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2022.11.025. Epub 2022 Dec 28.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Electronic address: gsharma8@jhmi.edu.
² Department of Medicine, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
³ Division of Cardiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
⁴ American College of Cardiology, Washington, DC, USA.
⁵ Division of Cardiology, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, California, USA.
⁶ Division of Cardiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
⁷ Division of Cardiovascular Prevention and Wellness, Department of Cardiology, Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
⁸ Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
⁹ Division of Cardiology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
¹⁰ Department of Cardiology at Northwell, Zucker School of Medicine, Hempstead, New York, USA.
¹¹ CardioVascular Associates, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
¹² Division of Cardiology, Ichan School of Medicine, Mount Sinai University, New York, New York, USA.
¹³ Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.
¹⁴ Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
¹⁵ Division of Cardiology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA. Electronic address: Laxmi.Mehta@osumc.edu.

PMID: 36585350
DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2022.11.025

Abstract

Background: Mental illness among physicians is an increasingly recognized concern. Global data on mental health conditions (MHCs) among cardiologists are limited.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the global prevalence of MHCs among cardiologists and its relationships to professional life.

Methods: The American College of Cardiology conducted an online survey with 5,931 cardiologists globally in 2019. Data on demographics, practice, MHC, and association with professional activities were analyzed. The P values were calculated using the chi-square, Fischer exact, and Mann-Whitney U tests. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis determined the association of characteristics with MHC.

Results: Globally, 1 in 4 cardiologists experience any self-reported MHC, including psychological distress, or major or other psychiatric disorder. There is significant geographic variation in MHCs, with highest and lowest prevalences in South America (39.3%) and Asia (20.1%) (P < 0.001). Predictors of MHCs included experiencing emotional harassment (OR: 2.81; 95% CI: 2.46-3.20), discrimination (OR: 1.85; 95% CI: 1.61-2.12), being divorced (OR: 1.85; 95% CI: 1.27-2.36), and age <55 years (OR: 1.43; 95% CI: 1.24-1.66). Women were more likely to consider suicide within the past 12 months (3.8% vs 2.3%), but were also more likely to seek help (42.3% vs 31.1%) as compared with men (all P < 0.001). Nearly one-half of cardiologists reporting MHCs (44%) felt dissatisfied on at least one professional metric including feeling valued, treated fairly, and adequate compensation.

Conclusions: More than 1 in 4 cardiologists experience self-reported MHCs globally, and the association with adverse experiences in professional life is substantial. Dedicated efforts toward prevention and treatment are needed to maximize the contributions of affected cardiologists.

Keywords: burnout; cardiologist; mental health; mental health condition; mental illness; physician; well-being.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Cardiologists* / psychology
Cardiology*
Female
Humans
Male
Mental Disorders* / epidemiology
Mental Health
Middle Aged
Prevalence
United States / epidemiology