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content warning: this story contains references to suicide and suicidal ideation. if you are in need of support for yourself, a friend or a family member, the canadian suicide prevention service helpline offers help and can be reached at 1-833-456-4566 toll free, 24/7. or, connect via text at 45645, from 4 p.m. to midnight et.
doctors are suffering a mental health “tragedy,” according to physician-based news outlet medscape .
the outlet surveyed more than 13,000 physicians across 29 specialties about the level of their mental health and their thoughts about death and suicide. they found not only that depression is widespread, but that many doctors don’t get help because they fear professional repercussions. the survey, a tragedy of the profession , encompasses 13,069 u.s. physicians across 29 specialties.
the extremely difficult working conditions that have been ongoing since the beginning of the pandemic are likely a major component of these high numbers, the survey suggests. many doctors have now been face-to-face with mass death for more than two years and have put themselves at risk too — especially before vaccines were widely available. they’ve also been forced to work long hours, often without breaks or vacations, which has led to a significant exodus from what’s clearly a punishing career: three in 10 medical professionals are considering leaving , according to the washington post.
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in canada, there was a mental health crisis among doctors even before the pandemic started: according to a canadian medical association report in 2019, one in three doctors experienced signs of depression. burnout can be hard to recognize in doctors because “we can still maintain high levels of pay even though we may be burnt out,” dr. gigi osler, then-president of the canadian medical association (cma), told global news in 2019.
about 9 per cent of medscape respondents said they had thoughts of suicide, down from 22 per cent in 2020. but it’s still an issue: other studies indicate that while the general public’s rate of suicidal thoughts is around four per cent, it is nearly double for doctors at 7.2 per cent. around one per cent of doctors said they had attempted suicide.
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licensing boards sometimes ask questions about mental health. when that happens, even mental health treatment sought years ago can threaten a doctor’s ability to practice medicine, according to the association of american medical colleges (aamc). some doctors also worry about having to share private medical records with boards. there are initiatives on the go to change some of these licensing practices, but they’re time-consuming and slow, the aamc explains.
and while stigma prevents many members of the general public from seeking mental health treatment, it’s even more widespread among doctors: one 2020 study found 73 per cent of doctors expect to be judged negatively by their colleagues if they seek therapy or other mental health interventions.
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