Physician burnout, depression, and suicide: a narrative review with a focus on anesthesiologists

The bottom line

This review places responsibility for burnout, depression, and suicide risk squarely on institutions: balancing demands against resources and building a stigma-free path to help are framed as leadership duties, not individual coping tasks. Leaders can use it to justify confidential, penalty-free mental-health access for anesthesia clinicians. As a pre-COVID narrative review it offers direction rather than intervention evidence.

What the source found

Narrative review concluding institutions and leadership bear responsibility for evaluating demands-resources balance and building stigma-free 'get help' culture; covers burnout, depression, and suicide risk in anesthesiologists.

Limitations and applicability

Narrative review; 2016 pre-dates COVID-era escalation; limited data on interventions.

Population and setting

Anesthesiologists

Used in FairShare guides

• Leadership, Culture, and Fairness

About this evidence

Research question / practical issue

How does this source inform Understanding Anesthesia Burnout and Leadership, Culture, and Fairness for the population it studied?

Study design, evidence tier, and source class

Peer Reviewed Narrative Review · synthesis source · evidence tier 2

Source type: Peer Reviewed Narrative Review · synthesis · Evidence tier 2

Topics: Understanding Anesthesia Burnout, Leadership, Culture, and Fairness

Audience: Anesthesiologists, Department Leaders, Wellness Leaders