LINCOLN, Neb., Oct. 25 (UPI) -- The high-stress environment of U.S. physicians can lead to sleep disturbance, irritability, withdrawal, overwork, procrastination, drinking and overeating.
Lead author Wesley E. Sime of the University of Nebraska Lincoln, said most U.S. doctors are overworked, which contributes to the widespread burnout within the medical profession.
Physicians and attendant staff that regularly encounter trauma or life-threatening crises may benefit from access to behavioral-health specialists with extensive stress management training. Preventative stress management approaches such as cognitive restructuring, biofeedback, relaxation, or exercise aim to alter the individual’s response to stress, reported Biofeedback.
Sime said research has shown that the most powerful antidotes to burnout and emotional exhaustion are personal relationships, such as with a spouse, family, or social support system or through positive communication.
A spouse that is available and willing to listen during periods of emotional exhaustion is a great preventative resource and buffer for burnout and emotional exhaustion, Sime said.