Physician Burnout: An Emotionally Malignant Disease

Over half of all physicians suffer from burnout, characterized by depersonalization, loss of enthusiasm for the profession, and cynicism. This devastating emotional disease adversely impacts physicians’ personal and professional lives, with potentially catastrophic consequences for the patients in their care.

Physician Burnout: An Emotionally Malignant Disease proposes two effective and scientifically validated treatments for burnout in both physicians and other members of the health-care community: wellness and emotional intelligence.

Using their experience working with and coaching physician groups, Reldan Nadler, PsyD, MCC; Zeina Ghossoub El-Aswad, PhD, CPEC, PCC, CWC; and

Naim El-Aswad, MD, offer an in-depth look at physician burnout and how to treat it. They focus on six core concepts:

• Burnout as a malignant emotional disease
• The pendulum of burnout symptoms
• Emotional intelligence
• Optics and self-diagnosing burnout
• Professional/personal life balance
• Wellness and burnout prevention

As awareness of physician burnout rises, the impact of this pervasive disease becomes increasingly clear. By utilizing the treatment modalities put forth in Physician Burnout: An Emotionally Malignant Disease, health-care facilities and individual physicians alike can get ahead of a disease that exerts a toll on physicians, patients, their families, and the community at large.