By Karin Krisher

Evidence that an American productivity schedule (8 to 5) isn’t ideal for maintaining productivity or motivation has been piling up for years. Now, the results of a survey of 7,288 physicians from June 2011 proves that doctors have it the worst: Physician burnout is reported at a much higher rate than the general  population, with nearly 1 in 2 physicians reporting symptoms.

I use the word symptom loosely. We’re not saying that every one of us who gets burned out has a malady that manifests in daily life. We are saying that doctors are being taxed—emotionally and physically.

The physicians surveyed were asked to fill out a questionnaire about burnout symptoms, such as emotional exhaustion, cynicism and loss of enthusiasm in work. The burned out are at risk for personal problems like addiction and depression, as well as professional problems, such as compromised care quality.

Writes Alexandra Sifferlin for Time.com, “The data showed that rates of burnout were high: 45.8% of doctors experienced at least one symptom of work-related burnout. When each symptom was considered separately, 37.9% of the physicians had high emotional exhaustion, 29.4% had high depersonalization and 12.4% had a low sense of personal accomplishment. U.S. doctors are burning out ‘at an alarming level,’ the authors write.”

Front-line care practitioners, such as emergency physicians, internal medicine and family medicine, had the highest burnout rates, while doctors of pathology, dermatology, pediatrics and preventative medicine had the lowest rates.

There’s more: Physicians work an average of 10 hours more per week than other people. While only 10.6 percent of the general population admits to working 60-hour (or more) weeks, 37.9 percent of physicians (the same percentage that reported emotional exhaustion) said the same.

The authors of the study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine proposed no real solutions for the issue of burnout. But we’re wondering if you have any tips.

Are you personally experiencing physician burnout, or burnout from another profession? What have you found to help you deal with these feelings? Share your story in a comment.

By Karin Krisher

A recent John Hopkins University study of physicians’ health behaviors led this writer to take a nice little walk down medical memory lane, pausing at each pivotal doorstep to recall the true nature of the encounter. Reading the study brought me to a lingering question: were my doctors telling me to do as they say, or as they did? Do doctors lead by example?

Because I didn’t delve into a reciprocal questioning process with any one of my many physicians, the answer escapes me. But there is a more important series of questions whose answers seem more clear: is consistency in personal health and recommendation a must? Is it even important? Why?

First, some background: The study was comparative, and noted some positives, like the fact that physicians are less likely to smoke, drink, or engage in other risky behaviors than the average American. However, when it comes to the hidden stuff, like cholesterol, BMI, frequency of exercise or quantity of vegetable consumption, physicians, as a group, seem to fall slightly short. Perhaps most disturbing is the fact that suicide and depression rates among physicians and medical students are higher than average.

So, is that important? When my doctor tells me how to deal with depression, or that my cholesterol should be lower, does she or he have to be healthier than I in order for me to understand and comply? It’s likely that most patients never question their doctor’s health. But for those few that do, of course it’s important. Of course one is less likely to comply with a hypocritical instruction. Though I hesitate to directly compare the authority or motive of doctors to mothers, my hyper, yellow-toothed doc telling me I shouldn’t drink coffee can be likened to a mother who smokes a pack a day telling her child never to pick up the habit: Somehow, the advice seems less poignant.

To maximize a patient’s chance of compliance, you don’t have to lie. You also don’t have to necessarily ignore the health issues that concern them simply because you aren’t compliant. Instead, to lead by example, simply start taking your own advice. While many patients won’t be acutely aware you’ve made this change, those that pay attention to your general demeanor, and not just what you say, will appreciate the level of sincerity that’s unveiled in the process. Plus, if you believe what you say, and you say what you believe, chances are your health is going to improve right along with your patients.

We’re all in this together. Tell us about your experience confronting a patient’s health issue with which you personally struggle. Did you reveal the truth or try to give advice without including your experience? Why did you choose that path? Share in a comment!