Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Mental health advocacy applies to physicians, too

Rohan Moghe
Conditions
January 11, 2022
Share
Tweet
Share

Mental health has blazed its way to the forefront of the national conversation over the last decade. Increased awareness and decreased stigmatization around mental health issues have undoubtedly allowed many to have access to necessary resources, and the world is better off because of it. Influencers no longer shy away from discussing these topics, and employers are taking steps to create cultural change in the workplace. Exacerbated by a global pandemic, it seems like the world is finally beginning to take notice that mental health matters.

Unfortunately, this new reality often looks a little different when it’s draped under a white coat.

Bold discussions about the importance of mental health are hushed to a whisper in the wards of a hospital, and health care workers are suffering.

A 2015 meta-analysis showed that case rates of depression among physicians are as high as 28.8 percent, and a 2020 survey found that nearly 1 in 4 (22 percent) of physicians know a physician who has committed suicide. This issue is urgent, and as we head into another COVID winter with new concerns about the omicron variant, the mental toll taken on physicians cannot be overlooked.

As a medical student, I worry that I am entering a profession where mental health awareness is severely lacking and barriers to accessing adequate care remain as strong as ever — the issue of physician mental health is pressing and change is long overdue.

There are clear barriers to treatment.

Physicians are less likely to seek mental health treatment for a variety of reasons. A major deterrent for physicians is a fear of professional repercussions in the form of medical licensing.

Physicians fear that disclosing mental health issues to state boards could jeopardize their ability to get or renew licenses, and many decide to stay silent. A publication by the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law discovered that 32 state licensing boards include questions that are outside the standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Intrusive questions about any past psychiatric treatment or illness history are asked, without mentioning whether they are relevant to the physician’s current ability to treat patients. According to a study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, nearly 40 percent of physicians report that they would be reluctant to seek mental health treatment due to fears surrounding medical licensure.

Fear of stigmatization in the workplace is also a major inhibiting factor to seeking care. Seventy-three percent of emergency physicians report feeling mental health stigma in the hospital, and concerns about confidentiality also contribute to reluctance. This has been compounded by the emotional and mental toll of the COVID-19 pandemic, where physicians do not feel like they have the time to prioritize their mental health.

The idea that health care workers are sacrificing their own well-being to help others during the pandemic has revealed a dangerous culture within health care, and it has underscored the need for urgent action. Rhetoric of “health care heroes” has served as a front for policy shortcomings in the arena of health care worker protection, and mental health is no exception.

Change is possible through physician-level advocacy.

Tackling these issues requires actionable change at multiple levels, and change is possible from the ground up.

ADVERTISEMENT

In a recent case study in New Mexico, physicians effectively proposed and enacted a change in how the state board asks about physician mental health, updating language on the license application. These changes centered around ensuring that questions were limited to mental health issues that currently affect applicants and that they did not unfairly discriminate mental health from physical health.

Any action that makes it more likely that physicians disclose their mental health struggles is one that will benefit patients and providers alike, and other states can learn from these efforts. The American Medical Association has also adopted a new policy to attempt to combat stigmatism against mental health issues in health care professions, and steps are being taken to combat physician burnout.

There are larger initiatives to raise awareness.

Health care systems can support this change by joining the ALL IN: WellBeing First for health care initiative, which aims to provide hospitals with resources and funding to allow physician treatment. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is another pioneer advocating for physicians’ mental health.

Leaders can look to prevent burnout within their own cohorts by investing in physician-friendly technologies and scheduling, and physicians must work to support their peers in seeking out resources. Individual resources include the National Suicide Prevention hotline (1-800-273-8255) and online resources to combat physician mental health issues.

Ultimately, a culture change needs to be rooted in advocacy and discourse on the inside, and stigmatization needs to be addressed if physicians will ever feel comfortable seeking health care treatment.

As we continue to give mental health the attention it deserves, we have to ensure that health care workers are not forgotten. Physicians will continue to take care of patients, pandemic and beyond, and we must have the ability and resources to take care of them — our lives depend on it.

Rohan Moghe is a medical student.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

We have been forced into a mass casualty scenario

January 11, 2022 Kevin 0
…
Next

Does an HMO hinder the efforts of concierge doctors to address patient needs?

January 11, 2022 Kevin 3
…

Tagged as: Psychiatry

Post navigation

< Previous Post
We have been forced into a mass casualty scenario
Next Post >
Does an HMO hinder the efforts of concierge doctors to address patient needs?

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

  • Sharing mental health issues on social media

    Tarena Lofton
  • Turn physicians into powerful health care influencers

    Kevin Pho, MD
  • Improve mental health by improving how we finance health care

    Steven Siegel, MD, PhD
  • Essential health messaging tips for physicians [PODCAST]

    The Podcast by KevinMD
  • We need a mental health infrastructure bill

    Jennifer Reid, MD
  • The new mental health education mandate doesn’t go far enough

    Brandon Jacobi

More in Conditions

  • What if medicine had an exit interview?

    Lynn McComas, DNP, ANP-C
  • Finding healing in narrative medicine: When words replace silence

    Michele Luckenbaugh
  • Why coaching is not a substitute for psychotherapy

    Maire Daugharty, MD
  • Why doctors stay silent about preventable harm

    Jenny Shields, PhD
  • Why gambling addiction is America’s next health crisis

    Safina Adatia, MD
  • How robotics are reshaping the future of vascular procedures

    David Fischel
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • 2 hours to decide my future: How the SOAP residency match traps future doctors

      Nicolette V. S. Sewall, MD, MPH | Education
    • Why removing fluoride from water is a public health disaster

      Steven J. Katz, DDS | Conditions
    • When did we start treating our lives like trauma?

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • In a fractured world, Brian Wilson’s message still heals

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Adriana Smith’s story: a medical tragedy under heartbeat laws

      Nicole M. King, MD | Physician
    • How doctors took back control from hospital executives

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • Why shared decision-making in medicine often fails

      M. Bennet Broner, PhD | Conditions
    • My journey from misdiagnosis to living fully with APBD

      Jeff Cooper | Conditions
    • Why we fear being forgotten more than death itself

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Adriana Smith’s story: a medical tragedy under heartbeat laws

      Nicole M. King, MD | Physician
    • What if medicine had an exit interview?

      Lynn McComas, DNP, ANP-C | Conditions
    • Why U.S. health care pricing is so confusing—and how to fix it

      Ashish Mandavia, MD | Physician
    • From survival to sovereignty: What 35 years in the ER taught me about identity, mortality, and redemption

      Kenneth Ro, MD | Physician
    • When doctors forget how to examine: the danger of lost clinical skills

      Mike Stillman, MD | Physician
    • When your dream job becomes a nightmare [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • 2 hours to decide my future: How the SOAP residency match traps future doctors

      Nicolette V. S. Sewall, MD, MPH | Education
    • Why removing fluoride from water is a public health disaster

      Steven J. Katz, DDS | Conditions
    • When did we start treating our lives like trauma?

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • In a fractured world, Brian Wilson’s message still heals

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Adriana Smith’s story: a medical tragedy under heartbeat laws

      Nicole M. King, MD | Physician
    • How doctors took back control from hospital executives

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • Why shared decision-making in medicine often fails

      M. Bennet Broner, PhD | Conditions
    • My journey from misdiagnosis to living fully with APBD

      Jeff Cooper | Conditions
    • Why we fear being forgotten more than death itself

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Adriana Smith’s story: a medical tragedy under heartbeat laws

      Nicole M. King, MD | Physician
    • What if medicine had an exit interview?

      Lynn McComas, DNP, ANP-C | Conditions
    • Why U.S. health care pricing is so confusing—and how to fix it

      Ashish Mandavia, MD | Physician
    • From survival to sovereignty: What 35 years in the ER taught me about identity, mortality, and redemption

      Kenneth Ro, MD | Physician
    • When doctors forget how to examine: the danger of lost clinical skills

      Mike Stillman, MD | Physician
    • When your dream job becomes a nightmare [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...