Zarah Choudhary19% of healthcare professionals reported experiencing thoughts of self-harm or suicide during their career, with 77% stating that their work contributed to these thoughts, research from The Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland (MDDUS) found.
Burnout (71%), work-life balance struggles (65%), high workloads (64%), lack of management support (40%), and workplace bullying or harassment (36%) were identified as key workplace factors contributing to these thoughts.
Only 24% of those affected felt they had access to enough support at the time.
The findings were part of a survey conducted by MDDUS, which gathered responses from 2,298 healthcare professionals.
The survey also found that 66% of respondents had experienced or were currently experiencing burnout.
The primary causes were workload (83%), staff shortages (67%), long working hours (61%), lack of support from management (41%), negative media and public perception (35%), and finding the work unenjoyable (28%).
60% of respondents reported experiencing compassion fatigue, which led to feeling overwhelmed (75%), irritability (61%), reduced empathy (57%), pessimism (53%), difficulty sleeping (50%), and neglecting self-care (45%).
Among those affected, 62% said compassion fatigue negatively impacted their ability to communicate with patients, and 44% were concerned that it could affect their ability to work safely.
Workplace mental well-being support was rated poorly, with 67% of respondents experiencing stress and 43% suffering from anxiety.
Only 26% rated their employer’s mental health support as excellent or good, while 55% said it was poor or fair.
Retention concerns were also highlighted, with 31% of respondents considering early retirement, 24% thinking about leaving the profession entirely, and 20% contemplating moving abroad for work.
Women reported higher levels of burnout (72%) compared to men (61%), while professionals aged 25-34 experienced the highest levels of work-related stress (67%).
Older professionals aged 55 and above were the most likely to consider early retirement, with 56% expressing this intention.
Dr John Holden, chief medical officer at MDDUS said: “Compassion fatigue is effectively a hidden, secondary trauma with symptoms that can ultimately make it extraordinarily difficult for doctors to treat their patients.
“Our findings point to the psychological stresses and strains of being a doctor that increase the risk of compassion fatigue, including non-supportive work settings, high caseloads and insufficient resources.”
