Whether you’re a medical student or resident, an active practicing practitioner or somewhere in between, you have most likely experienced the feelings of being overwhelmed and dissatisfied, maybe even dejected with your inability to achieve a happy work/life balance. The resulting stress, if left unresolved can lead to depression and even burnout.
It was reported more than 40% of physicians said they were burned out in Medscape’s 2018 National Physician Burnout & Depression Report.
Self-care and wellness is an ongoing process and it starts with you taking the first step toward your own wellbeing. A book I highly recommend is “Finding Balance in the Medical Life” by Lee Lipsenthal, M.D., you can read my Book Review here.
Burnout & Suicide Prevention
More than half of U.S. physicians experience burnout. While many factors contribute to burnout, it takes a combined approach of awareness education for both organized medicine and healthcare professionals to aide in the solution and create a movement that adopts a true culture of wellness.
See the link below to learn more from the AMA.
https://www.ama-assn.org/amaone/equipping-physicians-manage-burnout?%40wvmphp_org=
*Key take home points are: change takes time, small improvements can make a big difference.
400 physicians commit suicide each year. Suicide rates among physicians are twice that of the general population and the risk factors are even worse for female physicians.
Physicians deserve the ability to obtain the same voluntary-confidential respectful, professional assistance and guidance that is provided their patients every day.
Webinar: Physician Suicide Prevention
https://www.fsphp.org/physician-suicide-prevention
Enhancing Meaning in Work
A Prescription for Preventing Physician Burnout & Promoting Patient-Centered Care
Charter on Physician Well-Being
Other Resources on Physician Suicide
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: https://afsp.org/healthcare-professional-burnout-depression-and-suicide-prevention
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Interactive Screen Program: https://afsp.org/isp-for-medical-schools-hospitals-and-health-systems
- AFSP Interactive Screening Program Implemented by Tennessee Physician’s Health Program: https://e-tmf.org/tnpsq/
- 10 Facts About Physician Suicide by AFSP
- Struggling in Silence/Out of the Silence
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6690303/
- 5 Things to Know about Physician Suicide
- CMA Podcast – Physician Suicide
Practicing Mindfulness
Simply put, mindfulness is a state of “awareness”; the practice of having a nonjudgmental or complete awareness of one’s thoughts, emotions or experiences on a moment to moment basis. Mindfulness has been shown to improve symptoms of anxiety and depression and can result in lowering blood pressure, reduce stress, chronic pain and improve sleep.
Learn more about mindfulness and see how easily mindfulness training can reduce stress among practitioners whose days are hectic and often nonstop.