Physicians in Georgia reported significantly higher levels of stress and depressive symptoms compared with non-medical professionals, with variation by specialty, gender, marital status, and years of experience, suggesting the relevance of targeted, specialty-sensitive approaches to promote physician well-being.
Key Findings
Results
Physicians in Georgia reported significantly higher levels of stress and moderate-to-severe depression compared with non-medical professionals in unadjusted analyses.
The study included 390 physicians and a control group of 240 non-medical professionals.
Stress and depression were assessed using both the DASS-21 and PHQ-9 screening instruments.
The difference in stress and moderate-to-severe depression between groups was statistically significant (p < 0.05).
Data were collected via an anonymous online survey between February 5 and May 25, 2024, in Tbilisi, Georgia.
A non-probability convenience sampling method was employed with voluntary participation.
Results
Stress levels among physicians decreased with increasing years of professional experience.
The association between professional experience and stress was highly significant (p < 0.001).
Work-related stressors were more common among younger physicians.
Sleep disturbances and reduced optimism were also more common among younger physicians.
Future-oriented optimism was among the psychosocial well-being indicators examined in relation to stress.
Results
Female physicians had higher odds of stress, while male physicians had higher odds of depression.
Female physicians had an odds ratio of 1.7 for stress compared to male physicians.
Male physicians had an odds ratio of 2.5 for depression compared to female physicians.
These findings were from unadjusted analyses.
Gender differences were noted as a key dimension of variation in the study's analysis.
Results
Married physicians reported higher stress levels than unmarried physicians.
The difference in stress by marital status was statistically significant (p < 0.05).
Marital status was captured as part of the demographic characteristics in the survey.
This finding was identified in unadjusted bivariate analyses.
Results
Obstetrics-gynecology, general surgery, urology, and anesthesiology exhibited the highest prevalence of stress and depression among medical specialties.
Differences in stress and depression prevalence across specialties were statistically significant (p < 0.05).
Physicians were categorized by medical specialty for subgroup analyses.
The study highlighted the need for specialty-sensitive approaches based on these findings.
Other specialties were also included in the survey but showed lower prevalence rates.
Results
Sleep disturbances and reduced optimism were identified as work-related and psychosocial factors associated with poorer well-being among physicians.
Sleep-related factors and future-oriented optimism were explicitly included as psychosocial well-being indicators in the survey.
These factors were more commonly reported among younger physicians.
Work satisfaction and emotional well-being were also examined as associated indicators.
Analyses were primarily descriptive and bivariate in nature.
What This Means
This research suggests that doctors in the country of Georgia experience substantially higher levels of stress and depression compared to people working in non-medical professions. The study surveyed 390 physicians and 240 non-medical workers in Tbilisi in 2024, using standardized questionnaires to measure stress and depressive symptoms. The findings showed that being a doctor was associated with meaningfully worse mental health outcomes, even when compared to a working adult control group.
The research also found important differences within the physician population. Younger and less experienced doctors reported more work-related stress, sleep problems, and pessimism about the future, while stress levels generally decreased as physicians gained more years of experience. Male doctors were more likely to show signs of depression (2.5 times the odds), while female doctors were more likely to report high stress (1.7 times the odds). Married physicians reported more stress than unmarried ones. Certain specialties — particularly obstetrics-gynecology, general surgery, urology, and anesthesiology — had the highest rates of both stress and depression among all medical fields examined.
This research suggests that physician mental health is a significant concern in Georgia's healthcare system, with potential consequences not only for the doctors themselves but also for the quality and sustainability of healthcare delivery. The authors point to the possible value of targeted support programs that are sensitive to specialty-specific pressures, career stage, gender, and organizational factors, rather than one-size-fits-all approaches to physician well-being.
Asanidze E, Asanidze Z, Lordkipanidze R, Tsertsvadze M, Asanidze A, Parunashvili N, et al.. (2026). Work-life realities of doctors in Georgia and their impact on mental health and work-related well-being: A cross-sectional study.. PloS one. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0349641