Beyond Substance Abuse: Stress, Burnout, and Depression as Causes of Physician Impairment and Disruptive Behavior

Disruptive physician behavior may diminish productivity, lead to medical errors, and compromise patient safety. The purpose of this paper is to review how common psychological conditions such as depression, stress, and burnout may drive disruptive behavior in the workplace and result in impaired patterns of professional conduct similar to what is seen with substance abuse. Problems related to these psychological morbidities may be more effectively managed with improved understanding of the conditions and behaviors, their associated risk factors, and the barriers that exist to reporting them. Further research and educational programs are warranted to address how these conditions might affect radiology.

Key Words: Physicians, professionalism, disruptive behavior, impairment, mental health