18.3 Percent of Physicians Reported PTSD During COVID-19 Pandemic

Increased likelihood seen for female physicians, older physicians, and trainees, and for emergency department doctors

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, July 25, 2024 (HealthDay News) — More than 18 percent of physicians reported posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a review and meta-analysis published online July 24 in JAMA Network Open.

Mihir Kamra, from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and colleagues examined the prevalence of PTSD among physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic and examined variations based on demographic and other variables in a systematic review and meta-analysis. Data were included from 57 studies with 28,965 participants in 25 countries.

The researchers observed an estimated pooled prevalence of 18.3 percent for PTSD. In 14 studies that reported sex, female physicians were more likely to develop PTSD (odds ratio, 1.93). Younger physicians reported less PTSD in the 10 studies reporting age. PTSD was most common among emergency department doctors in the 13 studies reporting specialty. Trainees were more likely to develop PTSD than attendings among the 16 studies reporting career stage (odds ratio, 1.33).

“The findings of this meta-analysis and systematic review suggest a pooled estimate of physician PTSD of 18 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic, a figure that is higher than PTSD in the general population or previously reported PTSD in physicians before the pandemic,” the authors write. “The high prevalence of PTSD suggests that system level changes may be indicated to support physician health, which can include wellness supports and specific interventions to target and alleviate root causes.”

Two authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

Abstract/Full Text