Share of U.S. doctors by depersonalization level 2021

According to this 2021 survey, depersonalization, an essential aspect of burnout, is common among American physicians. That year, 44.6 percent of surveyed doctors had a high depersonalization score and a further 16 percent, an intermediate score. In other words, around 61 percent of physicians are somewhat in a state of depersonalization. On the other hand, over a third of responding physicians in the United States scored low on the depersonalization scale.

Depersonalization refers to negative, cynical attitudes and feelings about patients. Depersonalization correlates to emotional exhaustion, as these two aspects of burnout are closely related.