Doctor in general hospitals have worse mental status as most of their scores were higher than the Chinese norm, especially those worked in the departments of surgery, emergency and infectious disease [4,5]. The scores of somatization, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, and paranoid ideation were significantly higher in male than female doctors [6]. Total scores of clinical doctors were significantly higher than those non-clinical medical staffs [7]. Doctors in community or township hospitals, or military hospital had better mental health. The latest cross-sectional study conducted in 7 teaching hospitals found the average standard scores of Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) for the male and female doctors were 46.8 and 46.7 [8], higher than the China norm in general population, and even higher than the level (45.36) among inhabitants in Wenchuan County after the 5.12 Sichuan earthquake [9].

The consensus suggestions were the same that attention from authorities should be paid to these medical practitioners as they were facing mounting pressure and thus the corresponding social and health services were in urgent demand. Positive relief-helping measures should be taken individually or by the institution to dealing with professional pressure.

Occupational stress is a result of combined exposure to several factors in work environment and employment conditions [10]. The huge population in China has resulted in increasing number of patients and the health care system reform has enhanced patients’ demand from doctors. The increasing numbers of patients and health consciousness in recent year have imposed heavy burdens on doctors. The burdens deteriorating their physical and mental health were multiple occupational pressures coming from over workload, high demanding from patients, occupational risk, effort-reward imbalance and fierce competition for title promotion [11]. The studies concentrated on the assessment of occupational stress and its related factors among Chinese doctors were limited. Hui Wu et al. using the Chinese version Personal Strain Questionnaire in 1587 doctors found that major factors associated with occupational stress differed between male and female doctors. Role boundary and role insufficient were the most crucial factors in male and female doctors respectively [12]. Siying Wu et al. explored the job burnout and associated variables among 543 Chinese doctors and found that the main significant predictors of exhaustion were role overload, responsibility, physical environment and self care [13].

Several studies indicate a high prevalence of stress and psychological problems among doctors. It was revealed that Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors (TCM), in terms of job satisfaction, general psychological health, stress and coping were much more favorable than non TCM doctors. Additionally, the general health questionnaire (GHQ) of TCM doctors is higher than that of western medicine doctors [14]. In another research showed that doctors who experienced medium and high degree of stress accounted for 19.5% and 2.3% respectively. The highest stressors were caused by working treatment and load, professional level and medical treatment risk, which of these seriously influences their mental health [15]. In terms of working hours, a connection has been shown between sleep and mental health problems among doctors [16]. Emotional pressure and demanding patients were also related to mental health problems.

Among the investigation researches collected, there were reports exploring the psychological status of medical practitioners involving in large-scale disaster rescuing work. One was the 2002-2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak infected 8422 individuals leading to 916 deaths around the world [17]. China became the focus of worldwide attention when the coronavirus that causes SARS emerged. Sudden onset of SARS has the features of easy contagion, fast spread and high mortality, posing a great threat to human health. It was a major public health disaster. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was one of the most prevalent long-term psychiatric diagnoses among medical staffs participating in war of SARS [18]. One year after the outbreak, SARS battling doctors still had elevated stress levels and worrying levels of psychological distress. The total mean score and factor scores except somatization were significantly lower in the hospital employees than the national norm [19]. The coping style for medical staff was very defective and their negative response equalization was significantly higher than the norm. Its main psychological symptoms lied in somatization, anxiety, terror and obsessive compulsion [20-21].

The other research focus was the catastrophic Wenchuan earthquake measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale occurred in Sichuan province of southwest China. During the earthquake, 69,227 people were killed, 374,643 injured, 17,923 listed as missing, and about 4.8 million were left homeless [22]. The symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and associated risk factors were investigated among health care workers in earthquake-affected areas in southwest China. These findings suggest that PTSD is a common mental health problem among health care workers in earthquake-affected areas. The prevalence of PTSD for overall was 23.3%, anxiety was 21.6%, depression was 49.9%, and the anxiety plus depression was 19.54% [23]. The basic medical personnel in 6 severe disaster-stricken areas still show obvious mental distress at 14 months after the earthquake, some even have suicide attempt and symptoms of depression and PTSD [24]. The average standard score of SDS and the average crude score o f SAS of 142 healthcare workers were significant higher than the national norm [25]. Abnormal of the mental health status in the medical staff was outstanding after Wenchuan earthquake. The situation should be given the enough attention.

Doctor is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease or injury. Doctors should have the less health problems than the rest of the population as they have the professional knowledge. However, doctor’s physical health appears not as good as it thought it would be or even worse than that of the general population in China. Studies on health status of doctors in medical institution are abundant and repeated. The prevalence of chronic disease among doctors was 32.17% [26], prevalence of chronic illness increased with age growth. The analysis result was worrying and the consistence common diseases were cervical spondylosis, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, fatty liver and hyperglycemia [27-29]. Besides, female doctors also suffered from uterine fibroids. Yang Jie et al. analyzed 1723 medical staffs aged at 35 - 88 and found that the top five prevalences were hyperlipidemia (53.1%), overweight and obesity (50.1%), hypertension (31.2%), fatty liver (25.4%) and hyperglycemia (17.8%) [30]. Another routine health check-up in 2877 medical staffs found that hyperlipidemia (45%), fatty liver (37.5%), hyperglycemia (11.7%), hypertension (10.7%) [31]. While among doctors with associate and senior professional titles, cervical spondylosis listed the top [27]. In a survey of 2423 health workers in a certain Beijing hospital found that cervical spondylosis was the most annoying disease [32]. While in hospitals in southern China, the perseverance of these chronic diseases was relatively lower. A research demonstrated that hyperlipidemia (34.6%), Fatty liver (16.07%), hypertension (5%), diabetes (4.5%) in a hospital in Hainan province [33]. Prevalence of sub-health in doctors was 66.5% and even higher with significant difference between male and female. The most common symptom was mental stress [34]. All these chronic diseases were closely related to fast-pace of work, high concentration of energy, long time overloaded and high pressure.