Work

Caring for the Caregivers: A Narrative Review of Physician Health Protection Across High-Income Countries and Lessons for Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Year: 2026

Type: review

Abstract: Healthcare physicians (HCPs) across the world experience substantial mental, physical, and occupational health challenges, yet they remain an often-neglected group within healthcare systems. High levels of burnout, depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, professional dissatisfaction, and even suicide have been reported in diverse settings, directly affecting patient safety and overall health system performance. This narrative review aimed to synthesize existing evidence on physician mental, physical, and professional health, with particular attention to similarities and differences between high-income countries (HICs) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Peer-reviewed scientific articles, policy documents, and credible international reports examining physician well-being and workforce protection were analyzed. Recurrent themes across regions include burnout, depression, suicide risk, unsafe working conditions, professional dissatisfaction, migration, and collective actions such as strikes. In line with the objective of this review, the evidence also highlights important differences in how these challenges manifest and are addressed in HICs compared with LMICs. Although many of these problems are present globally, their severity is often greater in LMICs because of weaker occupational protections, limited access to mental health services, financial insecurity, and structural constraints within under-resourced health systems. The review therefore emphasizes that physician health should be viewed as a system-level and ethical responsibility rather than an individual failing. It further proposes practical and policy-oriented strategies that LMICs can adopt, such as confidential support pathways, regulatory reforms, and leadership accountability, to strengthen physician well-being without requiring major infrastructure expansion.

Source: Cureus

DOI: 10.7759/cureus.116850