Surgeons' Mental Distress and Risks After Severe Complications Following Emergency Surgery in China: a Nationwide Cross-Sectional Questionnaire

Surgeons experience higher levels of work stress, even under normal circumstances. Many can suffer from substantial levels of mental health issues, especially when faced with severe complications. However, due to a variety of reasons, many surgeons are reluctant to disclose mental health issues or seek psychological help.

Patients in need of emergency surgery are usually characterized by critical conditions and high surgical risks. Emergency surgeons always do not have enough time to clearly explain the ins and outs of the disease to the family members of the patients, only tell the key issues and risks that need to be paid attention to during the operation. The tone of the explanation maybe direct and blunt, which also could cause the incomprehension and dissatisfaction of the patients and their families. Due to the lack of communication, although the patient is in critical condition, the family members always think that the disease should be cured after arriving at the hospital. Therefore, once severe complications occur after the operation, the family members often find it difficult to accept the reality. This is also one of the important reasons for medical disputes in emergency surgery.

In addition to delaying patients' recovery courses, severe complications also place enormous pressure on chief surgeons who performed the operations. Such pressures may bring great risks of psychological distress. Surgeons are also the victims when they encounter severe complications following emergency surgery. Their mental distress should not be minimized. Until now, little has been known about the effects of surgical complications on surgeons. In the current study, based on a large-scale questionnaire survey in China, the investigators aimed to investigate incidences of surgeons' mental distress following severe complications after emergency surgery. The investigators also aimed to identify independent risk factors which could help develop strategies to improve the mental well-being of these surgeons after such incidences.