Vol. 7, Issue 2, Part B (2025)

Background: The satisfaction of work of psychiatrists is a fundamental condition for the stability and quality of staff and treatment, including the realization by the patients. Global and regional studies have demonstrated various satisfaction levels, but there are few recent national-level data from Iraq, which is currently experiencing rapid growth of its psychiatric workforce.

Objective: To measure the job satisfaction, globally and of various domains, among Iraqi psychiatrists, and to study correlates of these satisfactions.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed involving board-certified and board-eligible psychiatrists in Iraq from August 2023 to April 2024. A validated questionnaire (Arabic version) measured five dimensions: patient care, burden, income–prestige, personal rewards, and professional relations. They were taken with regard to sociodemographic and occupational factors. The relationship between the level of satisfaction and independent variables was examined by the chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test.

Results: 33.3% of 276 eligible psychiatrists participated in the survey. In total, 66.3% had moderate job satisfaction. The highest levels of satisfaction were in patient relationships (91.3%) and social respect (84.8%); the lowest in income (36.9%), work–life balance (36.9%), and continuing medical education opportunities (42.4%). Satisfaction level was also significantly associated with the marital status (p=0.004) and weekly patient load (p=0.018). Unmarried psychiatrists and those with a higher number of patients were significantly less satisfied.

Conclusion: Iraqi psychiatrists tend to find a high degree of satisfaction in patient care and societal appreciation, but they contend with continuing difficulties of remuneration, workload, and access to professional development. Furthermore, the surge of psychiatric board certifications and rising visibility of mental health, in part due to social media influencers, may affect patient-to-psychiatrist ratios in the coming years. Satisfaction with the job should be reassessed every five years to inform the workforce and policy planning.