The high suicide rate among doctors is a significant issue in many countries, especially among female doctors, for whom the rate is more than two times that of the general population. Compared to many countries, Taiwan has a much lower proportion of female physicians relative to male physicians, which has been suggested as a negative factor in affecting the suicide rate. Previous studies of female physician stressors are few and focus mainly on occupational stress. Non-work stress has not been well-researched. This study aims to explore the feasibility of providing a comprehensive evaluation of all stressors in female doctors’ daily lives by examining a cohort of Taiwanese female doctors, and then propose a design solution. Maslach burnout inventory (MBI) and the Brief Symptom Rating Scale (BSRS-5) are used to screen participants for occupational stress and general mental health respectively. In this research, case studies with in-depth interviews are conducted with 13 participants, and factors contributing to non-work and occupational stress are identified. The study results indicate that family issues, primarily child-rearing and marriage, acts as the largest stressor in the lives of attending physicians who are mothers. For female residents, the main stressors are occupational. Support from others can relieve both occupational and non-work stress. A life design workshop for experience sharing is then designed.

In conclusion, this study shows the stressors and stress relievers of Taiwanese female physicians with different backgrounds, which indicates their challenges and leads to a life design workshop. Further evaluation for the workshop is needed in the future.

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