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The COVID-19 pandemic continues to take a toll on the happiness, wellness, and lifestyles of many segments of the population, but especially those in the healthcare field, including gastroenterologists.
The newly released Medscape Gastroenterologist Lifestyle, Happiness & Burnout Report 2022 explores gastroenterologists' level of happiness in their personal and professional lives and how they maintain their mental and physical health.
Prior to the global pandemic, 8 in 10 (80%) gastroenterologists said they were "very" or "somewhat" happy outside of work, similar to physicians overall (81%).
But as the pandemic has worn on, feelings have shifted, and there are clear signs of stress and strain on those in the healthcare field.
Now, the percentage of gastroenterologists who say they are currently "very" or "somewhat" happy outside of work has dropped to 60%, about the same as physicians overall (59%).
Buried in Paperwork
In last year's report, 42% of gastroenterologists reported burnout; that's risen to 47% this year.
When it comes to burnout, gastroenterologists remain in the middle range of burned-out physicians.
Perhaps not surprising given the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, burnout rates are highest among emergency medicine and critical care specialists.
