2020 has been fraught with illness, anxiety, fear and stress. Physicians bear the weight of their patients’ mental health along with their own. Even in regions that have been successful at controlling the pandemic, many health care workers have reported lingering post-traumatic stress.
However, recent poll results reveal Sermo physicians have improved stress levels. In March, Sermo polled 20,000+ global physicians on the state of their mental health: 71% reported moderate – extreme stress levels for themselves. But in a recent October poll of 1,900+ Sermo physicians, only 58% said they are feeling moderate – extreme stress. In addition, physicians said the Covid-triggered stress factors—such as higher patient volume, financial concerns, new processes for seeing patients in-office, uncertainty in how to treat Covid patients—are less stressful now.
Though physicians’ stress levels appear to be improving, they report their patients are continuing to experience a similar level of stress. At the end of March, 88% of Sermo physicians said they believe their patients have moderate – extreme stress. In mid-October, 84% said the same thing.
In terms of stress levels specific to the office/hospital—at the height of the pandemic in June, 74% of physicians said their stress levels at work were somewhat/far more stressful. The recent October poll revealed a slight increase to 81% who feel somewhat/far more stress than usual at work.
On the Sermo platform, physicians talk candidly about their stress levels and concerns. Below is a sample of what they are saying—in their own words:
