Physician Mental Health: Understanding Physician Burnout and Solutions for Well-Being.

Physician burnout has become increasingly prevalent in the United States, and it has significant consequences on the patient, physician, and health care system levels. Increasing physician burnout has led to greater physician turnover rates, medical errors, and financial burdens on our health care system. This review of physician mental health and burnout discusses key contributing factors, potential solutions, and investigates the benefits of love, social connection, and joy. This paper also addresses burnout specific to female physicians and compares burnout by subspecialty. Understanding the root causes of physician burnout can help us implement meaningful change to mitigate the consequences by reducing stigma, fostering resilience strategies, improving quality of life for physicians, enhancing patient care, and reducing the financial strain on health care systems.