American Urological Association Workforce Task Force on Burnout and Coping.

Area of Science:

• Medical workforce health and well-being
• Physician burnout and mental health support
• Urology practice patterns and professional challenges

Background:

• Physician burnout is a significant issue affecting healthcare professionals.
• Urologists face unique stressors contributing to burnout.
• Understanding coping mechanisms and help-seeking behaviors is crucial for physician well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess burnout prevalence and coping strategies among urologists.
• To evaluate urologists' willingness to seek professional help for burnout.
• To identify barriers preventing urologists from seeking professional mental health support.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from the 2023 American Urological Association (AUA) Annual Census, including 1918 urologists.
• Survey collected information on demographics, practice patterns, burnout experiences, coping mechanisms, and help-seeking behaviors.
• Bivariate analysis examined associations between urologist characteristics and burnout, coping, and professional help seeking.

Main Results:

• 45.4% of urologists reported burnout, with 33.5% using unhealthy coping mechanisms.
• Only 17% sought professional help; one-third cited external factors as deterrents.
• 43% would seek help if mental health questions were not on state licensure records; younger urologists (<34 years) were more likely to agree.

Conclusions:

• Mental health questions on state licensure boards deter urologists from seeking professional help for burnout.
• Policy changes, such as removing these questions, are necessary to support the urologic workforce.
• Addressing barriers to mental health support is critical given the ongoing urologic workforce shortage.