Introduction to Physician Well-being & Burnout-View Presentation Slides

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The 2025 American Psychiatric Association virtual event "Burnout to Balance: A Psychiatrist’s Toolkit For Well-being," chaired by Dr. Lorenzo Norris, addresses physician well-being and burnout, focusing on definitions, measurement, epidemiology, biology, and interventions.<br /><br />Well-being is a complex, multifaceted construct distinguished from related concepts like health, wellness, and quality of life. It involves both system-level determinants (external, such as workplace conditions) and individual factors (internal, like resilience). Burnout is defined by WHO as an occupational phenomenon resulting from chronic workplace stress, characterized by exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced professional efficacy. Several validated instruments measure burnout, including the Maslach Burnout Inventory and Oldenburg Burnout Inventory.<br /><br />Burnout has a high prevalence among psychiatrists, with 78% reporting significant symptoms, and substantial overlap exists with depression—16.1% screened positive for moderate to severe depression. Burnout and depression share symptoms and biological underpinnings, including neuroendocrine dysregulation and cognitive impairment, though differentiating them may rely more on causal attributions, with work stressors linked more to burnout and self-worth impact more to depression.<br /><br />Burnout contributes to adverse outcomes, including reduced work effort, increased substance abuse risk, and suicidal ideation. Systemic factors—excessive workload, administrative burdens, and cultural expectations—are significant drivers. Resilience aids individual coping but is insufficient alone to prevent burnout.<br /><br />Organizational strategies emphasizing leadership accountability, regular measurement, communication, and culture change are crucial. The GW Resiliency & Well-being Center exemplifies institutional support through education, counseling, departmental consultations, and policy development. Tools like the NIOSH Worker Well-Being Questionnaire help measure well-being at multiple enterprise levels.<br /><br />The session emphasized that tackling burnout requires comprehensive approaches targeting both systemic changes and individual support to improve physician well-being and patient care. Resources such as the Physician Wellness Burnout and Depression Toolkit are available to guide recognition, differentiation, and intervention for burnout and depression among healthcare professionals.

Keywords

Physician Burnout

Well-being

Psychiatrist Mental Health

Burnout Measurement

Maslach Burnout Inventory

Depression in Psychiatrists

Neuroendocrine Dysregulation

Resilience

Organizational Strategies

Physician Wellness Toolkit