Close X
Sunday, November 10, 2024
ADVT 
National

Well-being of Canadian doctors declining: survey

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 25 Aug, 2022 09:46 AM
  • Well-being of Canadian doctors declining: survey

TORONTO - The well-being of physicians across Canada has significantly decreased with many doctors reporting poorer mental health than before the COVID-19 pandemic, a new survey suggests.

The Canadian Medical Association's national physician health survey, released Thursday, indicates that 53 per cent of respondents reported symptoms of burnout, including emotional exhaustion.

The reported burnout rate among doctors was 1.7 times higher than it was in the association's previous survey in 2017.

The survey suggests that one-quarter of respondents were experiencing severe or moderate anxiety and almost half of the respondents were struggling with depression.

Forty-nine per cent of physicians who participated in the survey also indicated they were likely to reduce or modify their clinical hours in the next two years.

The association's president, Dr. Alika Lafontaine, said the participants' responses "reflect the current state of the health-care system," adding the COVID 19 pandemic exacerbated many challenges physicians have been facing for years.

"People pulling back full-time clinical practice, people doing different things in order to mitigate burnout, more pervasive negative sentiment towards the direction that the health-care system is going and then just how this is affecting certain types of physicians more ... family physicians in particular are really struggling," he said in a recent interview.

The online survey involved 4,121 physicians, medical residents and medical students who participated between Oct. 13 and Dec. 13, 2021.

Lafontaine, who is a practising anesthesiologist in Grande Prairie, Alta., said doctors are resilient but the stress levels they face are very high.

"We've been trained in situations where stress is a normal part of work," he said. "We know that providing care in the medical system is a stressful job, but that stress has just completely gone out of control."

The survey suggests 36 per cent of physicians have had thoughts of suicide at some point in their life, compared to 18 per cent of doctors saying they thought about suicide in 2017.

Fifty-seven per cent of all respondents said they always or often feel fatigued at work, and only 36 per cent of respondents saidthey always or often get optimal sleep.

Lafontaine said provincial governments across Canada have had an "obsession with efficiency" over the last two decades, and health-care providers have not received the support they need to make sure their work environments are sustainable.

He said health-care providers, administrators and governments should start working toward pan-Canadian solutions.

"And then make sure that we have the right priorities: focusing on sustainable work environments, making sure that high-quality, high-safety patient care is provided," he said.

Lafontaine, who was recently elected as the first Indigenous president to the Canadian Medical Association, said the federal government can help by working toward more collaboration in health human resources.

MORE National ARTICLES

Woman charged after officers 'swarmed': police

Woman charged after officers 'swarmed': police
A statement from Vancouver police says 44-year-old Alene West was charged after an officer was hit in the head with an object on Tuesday. The statement says several other suspects are also under investigation for what is described as a "swarming" of officers who were responding to reports of an unruly man at a community centre in the same block as the encampment.

Woman charged after officers 'swarmed': police

Charges in June machete attack in Vancouver

Charges in June machete attack in Vancouver
Vancouver police say the 37-year-old suspect was arrested Wednesday near the city's Chinatown neighbourhood. He is now charged with two counts of aggravated assault and remains in custody awaiting an Aug. 17 court date.

Charges in June machete attack in Vancouver

More thunderstorms threaten southern B.C.

More thunderstorms threaten southern B.C.
The BC Wildfire Service website says 45 new fires have been recorded in the last two days, including one suspected lightning-caused blaze near Monte Lake, the same area where a massive wildfire destroyed homes last year.

More thunderstorms threaten southern B.C.

'Transformative' change possible, says Anjali Appadurai, 2nd NDP leadership candidate

'Transformative' change possible, says Anjali Appadurai, 2nd NDP leadership candidate
Anjali Appadurai is the second declared candidate in the leadership contest, joining NDP member of the legislature David Eby, who stepped away from his jobs as attorney general and minister in charge of housing to run for leader.

'Transformative' change possible, says Anjali Appadurai, 2nd NDP leadership candidate

Sentencing next month for man guilty of sextortion

Sentencing next month for man guilty of sextortion
Justice Martha Devlin set the hearing for Aydin Coban to begin on Sept. 20 in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster. A jury delivered a unanimous verdict on Saturday convicting Coban of extortion, harassment, communication with a young person to commit a sexual offence, and possession and distribution of child pornography in Todd's case.

Sentencing next month for man guilty of sextortion

Lightning could complicate B.C. wildfire woes

Lightning could complicate B.C. wildfire woes
Severe thunderstorm watches blanketed the B.C. interior from Prince George south to the U.S. border on Thursday. BC Wildfire Service information officer Karley Desrosiers said the forecast of lightning, gusty winds and high temperatures could make firefighting a challenge.  

Lightning could complicate B.C. wildfire woes