National Doctor’s Day: Understanding The Growing Mental Health Issues Among Medical Professionals

Being in one of the most stressful jobs, doctors and health-care professionals are prone to developing mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and substance abuse.

Work stress can take a toll on our mental health. Long working hours, working in life-or-death situations, improper work-life balance, irregular working hours, patient demands: doctors are indeed in one of the most stressful jobs. Needless to say, too much stress can lead to burnout, insomnia, addictions, and mental health problems. Growing evidence shows increased prevalence of psychological problems (stress, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse) and burnout among medical professionals worldwide and how this is affecting patient care. For example, a study from UCL and Birkbeck, University of London, had revealed that doctors often turn to alcohol and binge-eating in their attempt to beat work stress. Doctors are as regarded as saviours, but their own health are often neglected. On National Doctor’s Day, let’s try to understand the stress and pressure doctors witness in their everyday life.

Mental health issues among doctors in India

A 2018, researchers from the Department of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, assessed the psychological problems among medical professionals (resident doctors and faculty members) of a tertiary care hospital of North India. According to the study report, over 30 per cent of doctors were found to have depression, more than 16 of doctors reported suicidal ideations, up to 90 per cent reported some burnout level, about two-thirds of them experienced moderate level of stress and another 13 per cent reported experiencing high level of stress. Compared to faculty members, a greater number of resident doctors reported stress, depression, and burnout.

Shaireen Ali, Counselling Psychologist, Lissun, further shed light on the factors contributing to poor mental health of medical professionals in India.

She says, “Mental health is generally not seen as serious health problems and are not within the priorities in the health care delivery system in resource-poor countries. Prevalence of stigma against mental illness are perceived as threat against their work and had earned licensure.

Post pandemic campaigns for mental health and wellness have contributed to contradict stigma, although ironically, our doctors have always been the last in line of contact for psychological aid and therapy despite of having an abundance in accessing it. The “positive” culture implicitly popularizes the practice of tamping down emotions and to “keep moving.”

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“I’m not supposed to be weak, and I’m not supposed to cry, and I’m not supposed to have all these emotions, because then patients will assume I’m not good enough at my job,” which is what the way doctors have historically thought about their mental health. Further, lengthy work hours, extensive administrative tasks, maintaining confidentiality for clinical governance and pharmaceutical marketing allegiance have been reported to be major issues contributing to poor mental health problems among doctors,” the Psychologist adds.