Importance: The COVID-19 pandemic placed many physicians in situations of increased stress and challenging resource allocation decisions. Insight into the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder in physicians and its risk factors during the COVID-19 pandemic will guide interventions to prevent its development.
Objective: To determine the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic and examine variations based on factors, such as sex, age, medical specialty, and career stage.
Data sources: A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses-compliant systematic review was conducted, searching MEDLINE, Embase, and PsychInfo, from December 2019 to November 2022. Search terms included MeSH (medical subject heading) terms and keywords associated with physicians as the population and PTSD.
Study selection: Peer-reviewed published studies reporting on PTSD as a probable diagnosis via validated questionnaires or clinician diagnosis were included. The studies were reviewed by 6 reviewers.
Data extraction and synthesis: A random-effects meta-analysis was used to pool estimates of PTSD prevalence and calculate odds ratios (ORs) for relevant physician characteristics.
Main outcomes and measures: The primary outcome of interest was the prevalence of PTSD in physicians, identified by standardized questionnaires.
Results: Fifty-seven studies with a total of 28 965 participants and 25 countries were included (of those that reported sex: 5917 of 11 239 [52.6%] were male and 5322 of 11 239 [47.4%] were female; of those that reported career stage: 4148 of 11 186 [37.1%] were medical trainees and 7038 of 11 186 [62.9%] were attending physicians). The estimated pooled prevalence of PTSD was 18.3% (95% CI, 15.2%-22.8%; I2 = 97%). Fourteen studies (22.8%) reported sex, and it was found that female physicians were more likely to develop PTSD (OR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.56-2.39). Of the 10 studies (17.5%) reporting age, younger physicians reported less PTSD. Among the 13 studies (22.8%) reporting specialty, PTSD was most common among emergency department doctors. Among the 16 studies (28.1%) reporting career stage, trainees were more prone to developing PTSD than attendings (OR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.12-1.57).
Conclusions and relevance: In this meta-analysis examining PTSD during COVID-19, 18.3% of physicians reported symptoms consistent with PTSD, with a higher risk in female physicians, older physiciansy, and trainees, and with variation by specialty. Targeted interventions to support physician well-being during traumatic events like pandemics are required.