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Survey of burnout in U.S. Epilepsy physicians.

B. Freund,Alina Ivaniuk,Cormac A. O’Donovan,William O. Tatum,Hiba A. Haider

Published 2026 in Epilepsy & Behavior

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND Physician burnout is a significant public health concern. Epilepsy physicians may be at particularly higher risk, but previous studies have not solely focused on epilepsy specialty-specific burnout. METHODS We distributed a survey targeting epilepsy attending physicians practicing in the U.S. The authors designed a 45-question survey to assess and quantify burnout, which was distributed between October 2024 and February 2025. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed, evaluating individual and practice-related factors and burnout. RESULTS A total of 176 responses were included, 96/176 (54.0 %) reported burnout, 35/176 (20.5 %) reported severe burnout, and 136/140 (96 %) feel burnout is a problem. Physicians reporting burnout and severe burnout were more likely to endorse they would not have become a physician (p < 0.001) or epileptologist (p = 0.002 and p < 0.001, respectively), and were more likely to plan to leave their job/medicine, or reduce hours (p = 0.016 and p = 0.001, respectively). In multivariable analysis, higher Mini-Z subscale 1 score (p < 0.001), staffing support (p = 0.003), fellow coverage (p = 0.018), and male gender (p = 0.002) protected against burnout. Each additional patient admitted to the EMU increased burnout by 17 % (p = 0.023). White physicians were more likely to report burnout (p = 0.045). Higher Mini-Z subscale 1 (p < 0.001) and 2 (p = 0.043), practicing in Northeast (p = 0.006) and South (p = 0.003) as compared to the Midwest, and male gender (p = 0.041) protect against severe burnout. DISCUSSION Multiple institutional factors are associated with or protect against burnout, and women and those in the Midwest are at particularly higher risk. These results should alert organizational/institutional leaders to take action to prevent burnout, given implications for access, patient safety and physician attrition.

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