Medical culture and its association with health outcomes in physicians: A cross-sectional study

• Medical culture is associated with physician burnout, depression, and health behaviors. • Professional Commitment was strongly associated with health outcomes in physicians. • The Myth of the Invulnerable Physician was moderately associated with health outcomes. • There were weak associations between health outcomes and Burnout Stigma. • Addressing medical culture could be crucial to improving physician well-being and self-care. : Physician well-being is a critical issue, given the high prevalence of burnout, depression, and maladaptive health behaviors among doctors, as well as the broader implications for patient care quality and public health. Medical culture—defined by shared professional values and norms—may contribute significantly to physician distress. However, its relationship with physician mental health and self-care behaviors remains underexplored. : To investigate the associations between harmful dimensions of medical culture and health-related outcomes in physicians, including burnout, depression, presenteeism, help-seeking behavior, self-diagnosis, self-treatment, and psychoactive medication use. : A cross-sectional survey of 1002 physicians assessed depression (PHQ-9), burnout (BAT-12), and health behaviors. The Harmful Dimensions of Medical Culture (HDMC) scale measured Professional Commitment, the Myth of the Invulnerable Physician, and Stigma Towards Burnout. Correlation and multivariate regression analyses examined associations between medical culture and health outcomes, adjusting for personal and professional factors. : All three HDMC scores significantly associated with most health-related outcomes. Professional Commitment and the Myth of the Invulnerable Physician were strongly linked to burnout and depression, but showed moderate to weak associations with health behaviors. Stigma Towards Burnout was strongly associated with depression and showed weak associations with burnout and health behaviors. Multivariable analyses confirmed the independent association between the HDMC and health outcomes after adjusting for personal and professional factors. : Findings underscore the role of medical culture in shaping physicians’ mental health and health-related behaviors. Addressing harmful cultural norms through targeted interventions could enhance physician well-being and support a more sustainable healthcare workforce.