There is an unfair stigma surrounding healthcare professionals that they are somehow illness resistant – that their level and type of education makes them somehow immune to the diseases, health problems and mental illnesses for which others seek their advice.
Within the healthcare community, the stigma associated with mental health makes many healthcare professionals reluctant to seek treatment for mental health issues.
A 2018 American Journal of Psychiatry (AJP) article, “Suffering in Silence: Mental Health Stigma and Physician’s Licensing Fears,” said that while there are multiple reasons, “the source of this reluctance appears to be closely related to concerns around licensure and the stigma of mental illness within the medical community.”
Executive Medical Director of West Virginia Medical Professionals Health Program (WVMPHP) Dr. P. Bradley Hall agreed, saying that “having these types of problems – and of course getting help – they would have concerns that it would affect their ability to do their jobs or maintain licensure.”
The AJP article pointed out that almost 50% of Americans will meet diagnostic criteria for a mental health disorder during their lifetime.
“Doctors are human and are susceptible to the same human conditions as everyone else,” Hall pointed out.
“Everybody knows somebody that has a mental illness or other issues,” he said. “These same issues occur in all humans, irrespective of your credentials, or training.”
The impact of COVID-19 did not help anyone, he continued, referencing a study linked to the Mayo Clinic indicating most recent burnout rates are about 60%.
Hall said that burnout is an issue that is seen across a lot of professions right now – not just healthcare professionals. Burnout puts people at risk for having physical and mental health issues or even substance use disorders.
“That’s the highest it’s been in a number of years,” Hall said. “The general public itself has had more depression, anxiety, suicide and substance misuse. That would be true of health workers, because, believe it or not, healthcare professionals are part of the general public.”
Hall said in healthcare, frontline individuals like emergency medicine, critical care and family practice, tend to have a little higher burnout rate than some of the other specialties.
While burnout rates are high, it is not the sole cause of increased mental health problems.
“There is kind of a continuum of things that are interrelated that can be triggered by stress or the existence of stress with mental illness, or burnout, or physical problems,” Hall said.
There are many organizations with resources available to help health workers who might be experiencing problems, like Hall’s WV Medical Professionals Health Program, which offers a variety of services and specialized peer assistance programs.
The American Medical Association also offers a program called Steps Forward, which provides tools and resources on physician burnout.
While the resources are available, the stigma surrounding this topic still prevents many from seeking help.
“Healthcare workers deserve the same confidential, respectful care as everybody else,” Hall said.
