Understanding Gender-Based Variation in Determinants of Academic Neurologist Well-Being

Abstract

Physician burnout is a major challenge for health systems, with some evidence suggesting that women physicians experience higher levels of burnout and lower professional fulfillment compared with men. However, findings on gender disparities in well-being outcomes have been inconsistent. The aim of this study was to quantitatively and qualitatively explore gender-based differences in the determinants of occupational well-being among academic faculty neurologists.We conducted a convergent mixed-methods study using both survey and semistructured interview data. The quantitative component included data from the 2021 Professional Well-being Academic Consortium survey, which measures burnout, professional fulfillment, and hypothesized well-being determinants. The survey was completed by 539 neurologists from multiple academic medical centers. We used generalized regression models to assess gender differences in occupational well-being outcomes (i.e., burnout and professional fulfillment) including interaction terms to explore whether the relationship between each determinant and well-being outcomes differed by gender. The qualitative component involved interviews with 33 neurologists to explore gender-specific drivers of well-being and burnout, using thematic analysis to identify key patterns.While no significant differences in mean burnout or professional fulfillment scores were observed between men and women, there were gender-based differences in the determinants of occupational well-being outcomes. For men, negative impact of work on personal relationships, sleep-related impairment, and personal-organizational values alignment were more strongly associated with professional fulfillment, suggesting that these factors play a larger role in men's well-being. Perceived gratitude, although a protective factor for both genders, had a weaker buffering effect against burnout for women. Qualitatively, women reported facing unique drivers of burnout, including greater responsibilities at home, barriers to integrating responsibilities at work with those at home, and gender-based discrimination.Gender-based disparities in occupational well-being outcomes are, to some degree, driven by different determinants for men and women. While well-being was more affected by measurable factors in men, in women, well-being was shaped by broader sociocultural dynamics, making their challenges more difficult to capture with conventional workplace metrics. Interventions targeting relational aspects of work and improving work-life integration-especially for women in the early stages of their careers-may support neurologist well-being.

View details for DOI 10.1212/CPJ.0000000000200562

View details for Web of Science ID 001611482700001

View details for PubMedID 41229405

View details for PubMedCentralID PMC12604820