Mental Health in Cardiologists: A Real Concern

A recent study has shown that 1 in 4 cardiologists suffer from emotional disturbances, including stress and other psychiatric disorders. Emotional harassment, discrimination, divorce, and age under 55 years were predisposing factors. The international study included 5931 cardiologists interviewed in 2019, covering all continents. Survey respondents represent only 8% of those invited to participate in the survey. The majority were European, White, married, and with children. Individuals at the beginning of their careers were the most affected. Latin America contributed with 17.7% of responses. Men constituted 77.4% of the sample, and women constituted 22.6%. Therefore, it was a select sample that may not represent the entire spectrum of the population of cardiologists. Emotional disturbances were reported by 28% of respondents. There was considerable regional variation, but South America showed the highest rate of psychological disorders, reaching 39.3%; in Asia, the lowest indexes were observed (20.1%). Women were more prone to these disorders, but they also sought psychological help more frequently. This finding corroborates previous research which observed that suicide is more frequent among women doctors than in the general population.

Other researchers had already documented several emotional disorders among physicians, such as anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and suicide. ^– For example, recent research in the United States has documented that 42% of cardiologists suffer from burnout, and 83% have some degree of depression. COVID-19 has greatly accentuated these problems. The phenomenon is universal and seems to affect women in particular. These findings are a cause of concern, because they influence the performance of physicians and, therefore, have a direct impact on medical practice.

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