Prevalence and correlates of depression, anxiety, and burnout among physicians and postgraduate medical trainees

A scoping review of recent literature

Bibliographic Data

ID22091836
AuthorsSamuel Obeng Nkrumah (Dalhousie University, corresponding author), Medard Kofi Adu (0000-0001-9593-0275, Dalhousie University), Belinda Agyapong (0000-0001-7633-6529, University of Alberta), Raquel da Luz Dias (0000-0002-6347-4620, Dalhousie University), Vincent I O Agyapong (0000-0002-2743-0372, Dalhousie University)
Year2025
Volume13
Pages1537108-1537108
Publication date2025-07-08
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565
PublisherFrontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fpubh.2025.1537108
PMID40697832
OpenAlexW4412619089
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited146

Background: The mental well-being of physicians is increasingly recognized as vital, both for their personal health and the quality of care they provide to patients. Physicians face a variety of mental health challenges, including depression, anxiety, and burnout, which have become prevalent issues globally. These mental health concerns are like those found in the general population but are particularly significant in the demanding healthcare setting. Objective: This review aims to explore the prevalence and correlates of depression, anxiety, and burnout among physicians and residents in training. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted, searching databases such as Medline, PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, and PsycINFO. The review focused on studies published from 2021 to 2024 that addressed the prevalence of these mental health conditions in physicians and residents. The findings, in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, were summarized in detailed tables. Results: Following titles and abstracts screening, 196 publications were selected for full-text review, with 92 articles ultimately included in the analysis. The results revealed significant variability in the prevalence of burnout, depression, and anxiety. Burnout rates among physicians ranged from 4.7 to 90.1% and from 18.3 to 94% among residents. Depression prevalence ranged from 4.8 to 66.5% in physicians and from 7.7 to 93% in residents. Anxiety rates were between 8 and 78.9% in physicians and 10 to 63.9% in residents. Notably, women reported higher rates of all three conditions compared to men. Key factors influencing these mental health conditions included demographics (age, gender, education, financial status, family situation, occupation), psychological conditions, social factors (stigma, family life), work organization (workload, work conditions), and COVID-19-related issues (caring for COVID-19 patients, fear of infection, working in high-risk areas, concerns about personal protective equipment (PPE), and testing positive). Conclusion: This review indicates a high prevalence of burnout, depression, and anxiety among physicians and residents, with female participants consistently showing higher rates than males. These findings can guide policymakers and healthcare administrators in designing targeted programs and interventions to help reduce these mental health issues in these groups

Anxiety · Burnout · Family medicine · Psychiatry · Clinical Psychology · COVID-19 and Mental Health · Healthcare professionals’ stress and burnout · Medicine · Psychology · Workplace Violence and Bullying

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