Between Burnout & Belief: Medscape PA Burnout & Depression Report 2026 Jennifer Nelson

https://www.medscape.com/p11/between-burnout-belief-medscape-pa-burnout-depression-report-2026a100107i Physician associates (PAs) are navigating a burnout and depression crisis that, despite modest signs of improvement overall, has become more entrenched than ever. In Medscape's latest survey, 1 in 6 PAs reported feeling both burned out and depressed. But the numbers behind that tell a more complicated story: Burnout lasts longer, with affected PAs reporting symptoms for more than 2 years. Most PAs point squarely to their jobs, not their personal lives, as the cause — citing bureaucratic tasks, insufficient pay, and heavy patient loads as the top drivers — and roughly 3 in 4 say their employer doesn't recognize the toll it's taking on them. The result is a workforce that has become exhausted, largely unsupported, and increasingly uncertain whether things will get better.