Doctors' health: stigma and the professional discomfort in seeking help

Garelick, Antony

doi:10.1192/pb.bp.111.037903

Cited by 44 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Within the civilian sector, attempts to overcome this challenge have included the provision of separate and confidential services for medical personnel. Garelick27 suggests that self-referral to a confidential psychological service with easy access to a face-to-face consultation may make it easier to overcome barriers to care. Additionally, other care pathway entry points such as online or remotely delivered therapies, which have been shown to be effective for some mental health problems such as depression and obsessive compulsive disorder, might further promote access to care 28–30.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

UK military doctors; stigma, mental health and help-seeking: a comparative cohort study

2018

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IntroductionStudies suggest that medical doctors can suffer from substantial levels of mental ill-health. Little is known about military doctors’ mental health and well-being; we therefore assessed attitudes to mental health, self-stigma, psychological distress and help-seeking among UK Armed Forces doctors.MethodsSix hundred and seventy-eight military doctors (response rate 59%) completed an anonymous online survey. Comparisons were made with serving and ex-military personnel (n=1448, response rate 84.5%) participating in a mental health-related help-seeking survey. Basic sociodemographic data were gathered, and participants completed measures of mental health-related stigmatisation, perceived barriers to care and the 12-Item General Health Questionnaire. All participants were asked if in the last three years they had experienced stress, emotional, mental health, alcohol, family or relationship problems, and whether they had sought help from formal sources.ResultsMilitary doctors reported fewer mental disorder symptoms than the comparison groups. They endorsed higher levels of stigmatising beliefs, negative attitudes to mental healthcare, desire to self-manage and self-stigmatisation than each of the comparison groups. They were most concerned about potential negative effects of and peer perceptions about receiving a mental disorder diagnosis. Military doctors reporting historical and current relationship, and alcohol or mental health problems were significantly and substantially less likely to seek help than the comparison groups.ConclusionsAlthough there are a number of study limitations, outcomes suggest that UK military doctors report lower levels of mental disorder symptoms, higher levels of stigmatising beliefs and a lower propensity to seek formal support than other military reference groups.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

UK military doctors; stigma, mental health and help-seeking: a comparative cohort study

2018

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“…Participants also confirm the continued perceived stigma around mental illness. 14,15,30 The findings suggest this may be a particular problem for those working in general practice.…”

Section: Comparison With Existing Literaturementioning

confidence: 90%

“…Continued attendance at work while unwell has been reported previously, 7,14,27,28 and it has been suggested that this lack of self-care may result in longer periods of time off sick further down the line. 29 These findings add depth to this information around 'presenteeism', by showing the degree of guilt associated with the pressure to stay at work that can drive this unhealthy practice.…”

Section: Comparison With Existing Literaturementioning

confidence: 96%

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Barriers, facilitators, and survival strategies for GPs seeking treatment for distress: a qualitative study

Spiers¹,

Buszewicz²,

Chew‐Graham

et al. 2017

Br J Gen Pract

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BackgroundGPs are under increasing pressure due to a lack of resources, a diminishing workforce, and rising patient demand. As a result, they may feel stressed, burnt out, anxious, or depressed.AimTo establish what might help or hinder GPs experiencing mental distress as they consider seeking help for their symptoms, and to explore potential survival strategies.Design and settingThe authors recruited 47 GP participants via e-mails to doctors attending a specialist service, adverts to local medical committees (LMCs) nationally and in GP publications, social media, and snowballing. Participants self-identified as either currently living with mental distress, returning to work following treatment, off sick or retired early as a result of mental distress, or without experience of mental distress. Interviews were conducted face to face or over the telephone.MethodTranscripts were uploaded to NVivo 11 and analysed using thematic analysis.ResultsBarriers and facilitators were related to work, stigma, and symptoms. Specifically, GPs discussed feeling a need to attend work, the stigma surrounding mental ill health, and issues around time, confidentiality, and privacy. Participants also reported difficulties accessing good-quality treatment. GPs also talked about cutting down or varying work content, or asserting boundaries to protect themselves.ConclusionSystemic changes, such as further information about specialist services designed to help GPs, are needed to support individual GPs and protect the profession from further damage.

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“…An editorial in The Psychiatrist describing the obstacles experienced by medical professionals seeking and receiving help for mental illness has highlighted this case again [2]. …”

Section: Commentarymentioning

confidence: 99%

Avoiding risk at what cost? Putting use of medicines for breastfeeding women into perspective

2012

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Breastfeeding women often need to take medicines, and therefore health professionals need to consider the effects of medication on lactation and the breastfed infant, and any associated risks. This commentary discusses the tragic case of a young woman with a history of mental illness who committed suicide in the postpartum period. She was determined to be a 'good mother' and breastfeed, and to avoid any potential adverse effects of medication on her breastfed infant. The final outcome was fatal for both mother and child. We argue that if women require medication during lactation, all risks need to be considered – the risk of not treating the maternal medical condition may greatly outweigh the potential risk to the breastfed infant.

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Doctors' health: stigma and the professional discomfort in seeking help

Cited by 44 publications

References 14 publications

UK military doctors; stigma, mental health and help-seeking: a comparative cohort study

UK military doctors; stigma, mental health and help-seeking: a comparative cohort study

Barriers, facilitators, and survival strategies for GPs seeking treatment for distress: a qualitative study

Avoiding risk at what cost? Putting use of medicines for breastfeeding women into perspective

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