Doctors Happier Off Duty Than on the Job, Survey Finds
According to the findings, 60% of the doctors said that they were satisfied or very satisfied with their work life, while 76% reported being happy or very happy outside of work.
The data also show that physicians older than 45 years tend to view their professional lives more positively than their younger counterparts.
Javier Cotelo, a member of the editorial committee at Medscape Spanish, analysed the results in the report Well-Being and Satisfaction of Spanish Healthcare Professionals Outside Work , which explored doctors' perceived quality of life.
'My impression is that Spanish physicians, in general, are very satisfied with their nonwork life. They organise their free time fairly well, enjoy vacations, their hobbies, and lead a healthy lifestyle.'
A high proportion of respondents reported regular exercise, good sleep, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet. However, only 6 in 10 respondents expressed satisfaction with their professional lives. 'We all know the challenges facing our public health system and healthcare,' Cotelo added. 'Burnout among the professionals is very high, and that is concerning.'
The survey included equal numbers of men and women. Overall, 96% were specialists, and 23% practiced family medicine.
Mental Health
About 64% of doctors said their mental health was good or exceptionally good, while 12% rated it as poor or extremely poor. Younger doctors reported more struggles: 17% of those younger than 45 years vs 11% of those aged 45 years or older rated their mental health as poor or extremely poor. Job satisfaction showed a similar pattern: 20% of doctors aged 45 years or older vs 11% of their younger peers reported high satisfaction.
Hobbies play a key role in supporting mental health. Reading was the most popular activity (73%), followed by exercise (61%) and watching TV or movies (59%). About 71% spent over 2 hours online daily for entertainment, and 62% said it helped them unwind.
Nearly two thirds of doctors said that spending time with family and friends helped support their mental health. Other common strategies included engaging in hobbies (69%), exercising (63%), eating a healthy diet (51%), and getting sufficient sleep (43%). Additionally, 13% reported using prescription medications, 10% attended psychological therapy, and 8% relied on alcohol to manage stress.
Professional Burnout
Burnout is a significant concern. About 41% of the doctors reported experiencing anxiety, 3% reported depression, and 11% reported suffering from both conditions. Altogether, 58% experienced one or both conditions, and 55% said that these challenges negatively affected their personal relationships.
Lack of time was the main reason for physicians' struggles to maintain close friendships, especially among women and those younger than 45 years. However, 39 % of the respondents reported no difficulty.
Leisure and Media Habits
Vacations are also considered important. While 93% said they were important or particularly important, only 56% felt that they had enough time off to rest and perform well at work. In addition, 40% said that they would accept a pay cut for more free time.
Social media was used for various purposes: 45% watched entertainment or educational videos, 36% used it to stay in touch with distant family or friends, and 29% looked for recipes. More than 1 in 4 doctors said that they did not use social media at all.
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