Burnout Factors in Neurology: A Survey Assessing Key Factors Among US Academic Faculty

Burnout can impair clinical judgment and is prevalent across all medical subspecialties. Neurology, in particular, is associated with high rates of burnout and low satisfaction with work-life balance.

A standardized survey using the abbreviated Maslach Burnout Inventory was administered from December 2020 to March 2022. Faculty from 19 academic neurology departments in the United States participated. Demographic, career, compensation, equity, domestic circumstances, parental leave, and burnout data were collected as part of the Women in Neurology Collaborative Study. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS version 30.0 and R version 4.4.4.

Among the 311 neurology faculty participants, 185 (59.5%) identified as women and 277 (89.1%) were clinical faculty members. The mean reported duration of practice was 14.4 years (SD 11.3 years). Approximately 98.4% (n = 306/311) of respondents reported experiencing moderate-to-high levels of burnout. Burnout and depersonalization were consistently high across all career stages (>96.6%), while the subscale of emotional exhaustion (EE) rose significantly by the late-career stage (p < 0.001). Moderate-to-high EE among neurology faculty was associated with sex, academic rank, and career stage. In unadjusted analyses, leadership titles and research involvement were associated with higher rates of EE but were not statistically significant after adjustment for career stage and respective career advancement indicator. Participants in leadership positions had significantly higher observed rates of EE compared with those without leadership roles (p = 0.002). Participants who reported a history of involvement in funded research had significantly higher rates of EE compared with those with no history of funded research (p = 0.001). Among individuals in the mid-career stage, full professors had significantly higher odds of EE compared with assistant professors (OR = 6.00, 95% CI 1.34-26.81; p = 0.019). No significant differences in the rate of overall burnout were detected by sex, academic rank, career stage, or career advancement indicators.

High burnout and EE rates among academic neurology faculty were common across career stages, with EE rising significantly among late-career faculty members. Higher EE rates were also seen among faculty with leadership roles and funded research involvement, although these associations were not significant after adjustment. Neurology departments may consider measures aimed at reducing burnout in the future, with particular attention to faculty in late-career stages.