Physicians Experiencing Intense Emotions While Seeing Their Patients: What Happens?

Area of Science:

• Medical Psychology
• Clinical Communication
• Physician Well-being

Background:

• Physician emotional experiences during patient interactions are under-researched.
• Managing intense emotions in the presence of patients presents unique challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate physicians' intense emotions during patient encounters.
• To examine the display, coping mechanisms, and relational impact of these emotions.

Main Methods:

• A self-report survey was administered to 127 physicians.
• Participants were recruited via snowball sampling, institutional emails, and in-person meetings.

Main Results:

• 43% of physicians frequently experienced intense emotions.
• Physician reactions, such as crying or withdrawing, significantly impacted the physician-patient relationship.
• Positive impacts were linked to supportive reactions; negative impacts to withdrawal or defensiveness.

Conclusions:

• Intense emotions are common for physicians, and reaction type influences the clinical relationship.
• Long-lasting emotional effects may have significant clinical implications.
• Further research is needed to fully understand these dynamics.