Thriving among Pakistani physicians: A qualitative study

ObjectiveBurnout among physicians negatively impacts the quality of patient care and provider's mental health. While many studies have evaluated burnout, factors associated with physician thriving are not well-defined. This study involved a qualitative exploration of thriving and career satisfaction among physicians in Pakistan.MethodsA snowball sampling technique was used to recruit participants who completed a measure of job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and burnout between December 2022 and February 2023. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted to explore factors associated with burnout and thriving. Participants were physicians working in public and private hospitals in North Punjab.ResultsTwenty-four physicians were interviewed. Six themes emerged that might help to explain factors involved in thriving: patients' affirmation, serving humanity, social support, spiritual connection, occupational prestige, and activities outside of work. Two themes were identified as challenges to thriving: excessive workload and lack of resources.ConclusionImproving the well-being of primary care practitioners requires a multimodal approach, which includes cultivating intrinsic virtues, such as resilience and spiritual resources, as well as improving social support and the workplace environment.