The Stress Effects on the Mental Health of Female HealthCare Workers: Burnout Factors and Solutions

Abstract

The historically male-dominated medical field has more recently been replaced with a female majority of workers. While now most women make up the medical field, they are also usually the significant caregivers for their families. This dual responsibility may increase stress, burnout, and quality of life concerns. This begs the question: Do women in the medical profession experience higher levels of stress and burnout compared to their male counterparts, and what are some solutions to this issue? I posit that women in medicine experience higher levels of stress, burnout, and quality of life issues due to pressures to exceed expectations both in work and home life. Pressure on all healthcare workers is undeniable, especially with the recent pandemic, but literature research points to women being more negatively affected.  In addition to home and work responsibilities, female healthcare workers also did much of the direct patient care during the pandemic with high exposure rates to the virus and they continue to service challenging patient cases today. Analyzing the causes, impacts, and coping mechanisms that female healthcare professionals encounter will be examined through the review of literature studies, a self-report survey by medical professionals, and an interview with Doctor Leigh Frame of the GW Resiliency and Well-Being Center at George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences.  She discussed how stress and burnout in medical professionals can be alleviated.