A meta-analysis of burnout and suicidal ideation among medical professionals: Insights on occupational vulnerabilities

Abstract

Background: We assess whether the amount of experienced burnout and its relation to suicidal ideation differs between medical professionals and non-medical professionals.

Methods: In December 2023, we performed searches in EBSCO, PubMed, Google Scholar, and ProQuest. We used a random effects samples-size weighted approach for our meta-analysis of 92 sources.

Results: Our meta-regressions did not identify a statistically significant difference between medical professionals and non-medical professionals in their mean levels of the burnout dimensions (all p > .05). Our meta-regressions did not identify a significant difference in the relation of burnout and suicidal ideation between medical professionals and non-medical professionals (β = -0.06, S.E. = .05, 95%C.I. [-0.15, .03], p = .21, k = 53, n = 68,454), and similar results were found for all burnout dimensions (all p > .05).

Discussion: Our results suggest that burnout is no more important for medical professionals than non-medical professionals.

Keywords: Burnout; medical professionals; meta-analysis; suicidal ideation.