Survey
Survey
How Practice Conditions Shape Physician Wellbeing
Differences by practice setting, age, gender, and geography in the 2026 Survey of America’s Physicians
A national survey of 1,000 physicians conducted in collaboration with Medscape in August 2026 finds that physician distress remains widespread. As medical practice continues to evolve amidst growing consolidation, increased administrative complexity, and changing employment models, this survey examines wellbeing as a reflection of the conditions in which physicians practice.
Key Findings: The State of Physician Wellbeing
Physician distress remains widespread and rooted in the demands, pressures, and constraints of practice.
- Most physicians (55%) often have feelings of burnout.
- Six in ten physicians (60%) report experiencing inappropriate feelings of anger, tearfulness or anxiety during the past year.
- Nearly half of physicians (48%) report withdrawing from family, friends, and co-workers in the past year.
- More than one-third of physicians (34%) have felt hopeless or that they have no purpose in the past year.
- One in ten physicians (9%) report having thoughts or actions of self-harm in the past year.
Nearly six in ten physicians (58%) have felt debilitating levels of stress in the past year.
The top 5 contributors of physician distress among affected physicians are:
- Most physicians (61%) report excessive workload, staffing shortages, or insufficient time with patients.
- 42% of physicians report administrative burdens including prior authorization, documentation, and other insurance requirements.
- Four in ten physicians (41%) report difficulty balancing work with family, caregiving, personal health, or financial responsibilities.
- More than one in four physicians (28%) report organizational policies, productivity expectations, or internal pressures that limit clinical autonomy.
- 22% of physicians report financial pressure affecting practice, compensation, or job stability.
Take a Closer Look
Employed vs. Independent Physicians
Employment setting is associated with meaningful differences in physicians’ emotional wellbeing, with employed physicians reporting greater distress.
- More than six in ten employed physicians (62%) report inappropriate feelings of anger, tearfulness, or anxiety in the past year; compared to half of independent physicians (54%).
- 62% of employed physicians felt debilitating stress in the past year; compared to 51% of independent physicians.
- 35% of employed physicians report feeling hopeless or that they had no purpose in the past year; compared to 27% of independent physicians.
For employed physicians experiencing distress, the pace of work and organizational expectations emerge as top contributors.
- 65% of employed physicians identify excessive workload, staffing shortages, or insufficient time with patients as a contributor to their anxiety, hopelessness, or emotional distress; compared to 51% of independent physicians.
- 34% of employed physicians identify organizational policies, productivity expectations, or internal pressures that limit clinical autonomy; compared to 13% of independent physicians—more than twice the rate.
Independent practice brings a different set of pressures, with affected physicians more likely to point to the administrative demands and financial viability of running a practice.
- Nearly half of independent physicians (49%) identify administrative burdens including prior authorization, documentation, and other insurance requirements as a top contributor to distress; compared to 39% of employed physicians.
- 37% of independent physicians identify financial pressure affecting their practice, compensation, or job stability as a top contributor of distress— more than twice the 16% of employed physicians.
Female vs. Male Physicians
Female physicians report a heavier emotional burden than male physicians across core measures of wellbeing.
- 62% of female physicians reported debilitating levels of stress in the past year; compared to 56% of male physicians.
- 65% of female physicians reported inappropriate feelings of anger, tearfulness, or anxiety in the past year; compared to 57% of males physicians
- Nearly one third of female physicians (32%) identified organizational policies, productivity expectations, or internal pressures limiting their clinical autonomy as a top contributor of distress; compared to 25% of male physicians.
Younger vs. Older Physicians
Younger physicians are defined as age 45 or younger; older physicians are age 46 and older.
Younger physicians report consistently higher levels of emotional distress and difficulty balancing their career with their personal lives, revealing a pronounced generational difference.
- Nearly seven in ten younger physicians (69%) reported inappropriate feelings of anger, tearfulness, or anxiety in the past year; compared to 53% of older physicians.
- 65% of younger physicians report feelings of debilitating stress in the past year; compared to 54% of older physicians.
- More than half of younger physicians (54%) reported withdrawing or isolating from family, friends, or coworkers in the past year; compared to 45% of older physicians.
- 46% of younger physicians report difficulty balancing work with family, caregiving, personal health, or financial responsibilities as a top contributor of distress; compared to 37% of older physicians.
The Autonomy Gap: Control Over How Medicine is Practiced
Physicians report the greatest control over clinical decisions but have far less say when it comes to how medicine is practiced.
- Nearly three quarters of physicians (74%) believe they have either a great deal of or complete control over clinical decisions about patient care.
- Less than one third of physicians (31%) believe they have either a great deal of or complete control over the number of patients they are expected to see.
- 37% of physicians believe they have either a great deal of or complete control over the amount of time they spend with patients.
- Less than one quarter of physicians (24%) believe they have either a great deal of or complete control over administrative tasks and documentation requirements.
Take a Closer Look
Employed vs. Independent Physicians
Independent physicians report substantially more control over the structure of their work, while employed physicians are more likely to say their control is limited.
- Nearly half of independent physicians (49%) report either a great deal of or complete control over the number of patients they are expected to see, more than twice that of employed physicians (23%).
- 51% of independent physicians report either a great deal of or complete control over the amount of time they spend with patients; compared to 31% of employed physicians. By contrast, 63% of employed physicians report they have either only a little or some control over time with patients, compared to 44% of independent physicians.
- 55% of independent physicians report either a great deal of or complete control over when and how they take time away from work; compared to only 40% of employed physicians.
Female vs. Male Physicians
Female physicians report less control over several core dimensions of the workday, particularly patient volume and time with patients.
- Only 23% of female physicians report either a great deal of or complete control over expected patient volume; compared to 36% of male physicians.
- Three in ten female physicians (30%) report either a great deal of or complete control over the amount of time they spend with patients; compared to 43% of male physicians.
Younger vs. Older Physicians
Younger physicians are defined as age 45 or younger; older physicians are age 46 and older.
Younger physicians report less control over the pace and boundaries of their work.
- Only one quarter of younger physicians (24%) report either a great deal of or complete control over expected patient volume; compared to 35% of older physicians.
- Nearly two-thirds of younger physicians (64%) report either only a little or some control over time with patients; compared to 52% of older physicians.
- Six in ten younger physicians (59%) report either only a little or some control over time away from work; compared to 47% of older physicians.
Rural, Suburban, and Urban Physicians
Rural physicians consistently report greater autonomy over the day-to-day practice of medicine, while urban physicians are more likely to report limited control.
- 42% of rural physicians report either a great deal of or complete control over expected patient volume; compared to 33% of suburban physicians and only 25% of urban physicians.
- More than half of rural physicians (57%) report either a great deal of or complete control over when and how they take time away; compared to 47% of suburban physicians and 40% of urban physicians.
- 50% of rural physicians report either only a little or some control over documentation requirements, compared to significantly higher shares of urban physicians (64%) and suburban physicians (63%).
Wellbeing is Reshaping the Workforce
Physician wellbeing is influencing decisions about how much physicians work, how long they remain in practice, and whether they take on additional responsibilities. Those choices have implications for workforce capacity, continuity, and patient access across the U.S.
Due to concerns about their wellbeing, physicians have either considered or taken action in the following ways:
42
%
Retiring earlier than planned and/or leaving clinical practice.
42
%
Reducing their clinical hours and/or the number of patients they see.
38
%
Declining additional responsibilities or leadership roles.
24
%
Made no changes, but continued working despite significant distress.
The response to distress is not uniform across the profession.
- 41% of employed physicians reported they considered declining or did decline additional responsibilities or leadership roles, more often than independent physicians (32%).
- 29% of older physicians reported they considered reducing or did reduce their clinical hours, more often than younger physicians (22%).
- 31% of older physicians reported they made no changes, despite significant distress, more often than younger physicians (20%).
Creating a Culture of Physician Wellbeing
Physicians recognize the need for support, but the system still makes seeking care difficult. Even when support exists, workplace culture, stigma and professional risk can make it harder for physicians to feel safe accessing it.
- 34% of physicians say that their workplace culture does not prioritize the wellbeing of its physicians.
- Seven in ten physicians (71%) say there is stigma surrounding mental health and seeking mental health care among physicians.
- 36% of physicians say that they were afraid or they know a colleague or peer who was fearful of seeking mental health care because of questions about mental health in medical licensure, credentialing, or insurance applications.
- Only one third of physicians (32%) say that suicide prevention resources for physicians exist and are easy to access.
Who seeks support varies across the profession, revealing meaningful differences in how mental health needs and help-seeking shows up across physician communities.
- Nearly two thirds of physicians (63%) report knowing a physician who has sought mental health support; 31% know a physician who has done so in the past year.
- 58% of physicians report knowing a physician who has considered seeking mental health support; 31% know a physician who has done so in the past year.
- 42% of physicians report knowing a physician who said they would not seek mental health support.
- 30% of physicians say that have checked in with a physician they suspected was experiencing mental health distress.
Take a Closer Look
Employed vs. Independent Physicians
Seeking support for mental health is more visible in employed physicians’ professional networks.
- One third of employed physicians (34%) know a physician who sought mental health support in the past year; compared to less than one quarter of independent physicians (24%).
Female vs. Male Physicians
Female physicians report greater exposure to colleagues considering and seeking mental health support.
- 66% of female physicians know a physician who has ever considered seeking mental health support; compared to 53% of male physicians.
- 36% of female physicians know a physician who sought mental health support in the past year; compared to 27% of male physicians.
Younger vs. Older Physicians
Younger physicians are defined as age 45 or younger; older physicians are age 46 and older.
Younger physicians are far more likely to encounter others seeking mental health support and consideration of care among their peers.
- 70% of younger physicians know a physician who has ever sought mental health support; compared to 58% of older physicians.
- 41% of younger physicians know a physician who considered seeking mental health support in the past year; compared to 24% of older physicians.
Rural, Suburban, and Urban Physicians
Urban physicians report greater reluctance to seek care compared to their suburban and urban counterparts.
- Nearly half of urban physicians (48%) know a physician who has said they would not seek mental health support; compared to 40% of suburban physicians and 33% of rural physicians.
Suicide Remains a Shared Professional Reality
The pressures physicians face in practice can have profound human consequences. At their most severe, sustained distress, isolation, and barriers to seeking support can become life-threatening, affecting individual physicians and the communities around them. This survey found no significant differences in suicidality across gender, geography, or employment.
- More than one third (34%) of physicians know a physician who has died by suicide.
- 21% of physicians know a physician who has attempted suicide in the past year; dropping from 26% in 2025.
- Nearly three in ten physicians (29%) know a physician who has ever considered suicide; down from 34% in 2025.
- Nearly one in ten physicians (9%) know a physician who has considered suicide in the past year.
About The Survey of America’s Physicians
The Survey of America’s Physicians, conducted annually by The Physicians Foundation in collaboration with Medscape, captures the perspectives of 1,000 practicing physicians nationwide on the issues shaping the practice of medicine and patient care. By tracking physician experiences and sentiment over time, the survey provides insight into the evolving health care landscape and identifies opportunities to strengthen physician practice and improve patient health outcomes.
