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Wayne M. Sotile, PhD
The most powerful predictor of positive coping skills, of resilience, is loving connection with people who are important to you, and positive, collegial connection with people in the workplace.
Half of GI Docs Would Give Up Money for Work-Life Balance
Managing the intense demands of their profession with the need for sufficient time off for family, vacation, and other personal activities is a constant struggle for gastroenterologists, according to the newly released Medscape Gastroenterologist Lifestyle & Happiness Report 2024.
This year, more than half (55%) of gastroenterologists said they would accept less pay to have a better work-life balance, in line with what was reported in Medscape's past two surveys (59% and 57%, respectively).
And among gastroenterologists who are parents, 38% report feeling "conflicted" or "very conflicted" about work demands, with 30% at least "somewhat conflicted."
"I feel like this is a perennial problem that boils down to a time issue" for doctors, said Michael Ziffra, MD, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University in Chicago.
"We want to spend more time with our children, but it's also built into us to always go the extra mile to take care of the patient's needs. Also, most physicians would say the administrative expectations for productivity creep up from year to year," Ziffra added.
Like physicians overall, most (76%) gastroenterologists say having more time for themselves and their families is very important.
Protecting Happiness and Mental Health
When it comes to time off, 50% of gastroenterologists take 3-4 weeks a year in vacation time, 25% take less than that, and 26% take more than that. The vast majority say taking time off is important to their happiness and mental well-being.
So how do gastroenterologists try to maintain their happiness and mental health?
Positive techniques include spending time with family and friends (82%), exercising (67%), doing activities and hobbies, such as reading, cooking, and gardening (63%), striving to get more sleep (53%), and eating healthy (46%). Only 9% of those surveyed turned to therapy.
Therapy seems to be an underutilized coping tool among doctors, said Ziffra. He attributes that trend to time barriers, high demand for psychotherapy help, and a continuing stigma around mental health among many physicians.
A 'Somewhat Healthy' Diet
Nine in 10 gastroenterologists say their diet is "somewhat healthy" or better, which may help them perform a demanding job and support their family life.
One recent study gave doctors generally high marks for the quality and diversity of their diets, while also cautioning that they could do better on reducing red meat, refined sugar, sodium, and alcohol.
Ziffra noted that eating well requires a disciplined approach and mindfulness of time pressures that can undermine a physician's good intentions.
"Finding and cooking healthy food takes time, which a lot of physicians don't feel they have," he said.
Forty-two percent of gastroenterologists say they'd like to lose weight, while 39% aim to maintain their current weight. However, only 40% of gastroenterologists find time for at least four exercise sessions each week, while 8% never work out — similar to last year's report (36% and 7%, respectively).
In terms of alcohol use, 27% of gastroenterologists don't drink at all and only 5% reported having seven or more drinks weekly, which starts to reach the range of "heavy drinking," defined by National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism as ≥ 15 drinks a week for a man, and eight or more for a woman.
A great majority of gastroenterologists are happily married or in a committed relationship, several Medscape surveys have shown. More than half (57%) of gastroenterologists report having a partner who also works in healthcare.
"Across survey cohorts...the most powerful predictor of positive coping skills, of resilience, is loving connection with people who are important to you, and positive, collegial connection with people in the workplace," said Wayne M. Sotile, PhD, a clinical psychologist and founder of the Center for Physician Resilience in Davidson, North Carolina.
"This means getting through hard times and coming out stronger. On the flip side, nothing tanks resilience more than negative relationship dynamics," he added.
Two thirds (66%) of gastroenterologists have spiritual or religious beliefs, which is "refreshing" in Sotile's view.
"These are hard and complex times, and physicians need to have something bigger than themselves to hang onto," be it a spiritual or religious belief or something else. "It tends to make them more resilient people," he noted.
Findings from Medscape's latest happiness, wellness, and lifestyle survey are based on 9226 Medscape member physicians practicing in 29 specialties in the United States who completed an online survey conducted between July 5 and October 9, 2023. Most respondents were aged 35-64 years, and 61% were men.
