Income Protection Insurance claims for mental illness have risen over time and Doctors have not been immune to this trend. A 2013 study by Beyond Blue showed that :
– One in five medical students and one in 10 doctors had suicidal thoughts in the past year. More than four in 10 students and a quarter of doctors are highly likely to have a minor psychiatric disorder, like mild depression or mild anxiety
– 3.4% of doctors are experiencing very high psychological distress, much greater than the wider community
– Oncologists are clearly the most psychologically distressed specialists while doctors who do not deal with patients (researchers, administrators, etc) think about suicide most often
– Male doctors work longer hours (46 per week) and engage in more risky drinking but female doctors are more psychologically distressed and think about suicide more often
– Young doctors work longer hours (50 per week on average), are far more psychologically distressed, think about suicide more and are more burnt-out than their older colleagues
– Perceived stigma is rife with almost half of respondents thinking doctors are less likely to appoint doctors with a history of depression or anxiety and four in 10 agreeing that many doctors think less of doctors who have experienced depression or anxiety. 4.5% list bullying and 1.7% list racism as a cause of stress for them.
Read The Executive Summary Of The Report Here
