Physician Well-Being in Foreign Lands: Unmasking Mental Health Problems and Suicide Risk Among Egyptian Medical Expatriates

Background Moving to a new country for work can be incredibly stressful, especially for physicians who already face high-pressure jobs. This study explores the mental health challenges, like depression, anxiety, and suicidal risk, that Egyptian doctors experience while working abroad. Methods A cross-sectional online survey of 400 Egyptian immigrant physicians in Arab Gulf/Western nations was conducted via Facebook professional groups using comprehensive consecutive sampling. Data were collected using a questionnaire covering sociodemographic, clinical, and immigration-related factors, and history of suicidal ideation/ attempts, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to assess the severity of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Results About 16% of doctors reported moderate to severe depression. Women were 2.5 times more likely to experience it than men. Nearly 40% struggled with significant anxiety, especially those working more than 8 hours a day. 6.3% of doctors had suicidal thoughts, and almost 5% had attempted suicide. Younger physicians were found to be fourfold more likely to have suicidal risk compared to their older counterparts, while physicians who reported barriers to accessing mental health services had a 2.9-fold increased risk of suicidal risk. The reported barriers included a lack of insurance coverage, fear of losing their jobs, and stigma. Conclusion Egyptian migrant physicians face significant mental health burdens, exacerbated by being younger, long working hours, past mental health issues, and systemic barriers to care. Urgent interventions must address healthcare access, occupational safeguards, and culturally sensitive support to mitigate suicide risk and improve well-being in this critical workforce.