Educational Offerings and Group Support | Department of Psychiatry

UNC School of Medicine Department or Group Support

Please complete the Group Support Request form to request a formal group support session, presentation, or panel discussion by one of our team members.

Physician Parenting Resources

https://www.med.unc.edu/psych/wellness-initiatives/taking-care-of-our-own/physician-parenting-support/

What is burnout?

No one is immune to the difficulties of balancing life and work demands. Physicians, both resident and attending, who labor long hours under high stress situations are subject to sleep deprivation and may even have difficulty finding time to manage basic bodily needs. Add to that the burdens of trying to ease other people’s suffering, cope with sadness and loss, and calm patients’ and families’ fears, and the combination can lead to burnout syndrome and stress.

Burnout Syndrome is a growing problem among practicing physicians and is defined as a constellation of symptoms that include emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and loss of perspective that work is meaningful. Untreated, burnout syndrome can erode professional behavior at work and healthy relationships at home. This leads to decreased empathy and compassion, poor communication and potentially worse patient outcomes. The personal consequences include disrupted relationships with family and friends, self-medicating with alcohol or other substances, depression and an increased risk of suicide, which is higher among physicians than the general population, in part due to the stigma associated with seeking mental health treatment. If you are struggling in some way with burnout syndrome or other can erode professional behavior at work and healthy relationships at home. This leads to decreased empathy and compassion, poor communication and potentially worse patient outcomes. The personal consequences include disrupted relationships with family and friends, self-medicating with alcohol or other substances, depression and an increased risk of suicide, which is higher among physicians than the general population, in part due to the stigma associated with seeking mental health treatment. If you are struggling in some way with burnout syndrome or other issues, you aren’t alone and don’t need to suffer in silence.