Stress and Women Physicians: Effects on Infertility and Family Planning

Burnout is an occupational stress phenomenon with physical, cognitive and emotional components. Women physicians encounter distinctive factors that contribute to occupational stress and burnout. The physiological underpinnings of burnout and its connection to fertility have been studied primarily through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Among women physicians, both individual and organizational factors related to burnout can result in delays in family planning and infertility. Women physicians considering family planning express concerns about being negatively perceived and the effect on career advancement. Women physicians are more likely to require assisted reproductive technologies and experience complications during pregnancy. An emphasis on early education of reproductive options and use of evidence based psychological interventions during the treatment of infertility can reduce stress and improve outcomes. [ Psychiatr Ann . 2024;54(10):e277–e281.]