In most cultures, doctors are seen as community healers. They are the individuals who prioritize the health and wellbeing of the people around them. Before modern medicine, healing care was still found within certain people. Even in 3000 BC, the Ancient Egyptian rulers were employing people to heal their bodies should any illness have befallen them. Today’s doctors navigate years of education, complex medical conditions, replenish the health of people, and provide an avenue of hope and faith that better days are coming. But, as physicians continue to uplift the health and wellness of the community it serves, who is treating them?
Behind the white lab coats and surgical gowns, many physicians struggle to access the healthcare services they require, specifically, treatment for any mental health issues. Doctors are often subjected to an incredible amount of pressure; their entire occupation conditional on the health and treatment of others. With long hours, strenuous emotional exertion, and the sheer weight of having someone’s life in your hands, it is not surprising why doctors often face mental turmoil.
Contrary to societal belief made in jest, doctors are not immune to the illnesses they treat. However, for doctors hoping to locate solutions to their mental health issues, they are faced with a major price. Many doctors fear seeking mental healthcare because of the professional repercussions that could potentially arise due to questions on medical licensure, credentialing, and insurance applications.
In fact, 40% of physicians report that they – or another doctor they know – have hesitated seeking mental healthcare because of these very repercussions stated above.
It is no secret that doctors must disclose much more to their employers than the average employee. Nevertheless, medical licensing boards, hospital credentialing committees, and insurance providers should not be demanding the reveal of sensitive mental health dilemmas from doctors. Requesting information from these physicians should remain to ethical and necessary standards, not perpetuate mental health stigmas.
“Just because doctors are taking care of people for a living does not mean they have to put their own health on the backburner. Their health is just as important, and could be a deciding factor in the type of care they provide to their patients. If a doctor is not feeling well, how can they possibly take care of anyone else? Having a balance between their physical and mental health, and the health of their patients is necessary for healing on both sides,” says DoorSpace CEO Sarah M. Worthy.
The implications of this fear can be detrimental. It is more far reaching than the individual in question. Physicians are faced with overwhelming workdays and this can lead to increases in burnout, depression, anxiety, and other stressors to their emotional health. In turn, impacting the care they provide patients with.
If physicians do not care for their own mental health, how can they be expected to care for the health of others?
Doctors who do not take caution to their own wellbeing are more prone to making mistakes and becoming unable to provide comprehensive and necessary care. If anything, medical licensing boards, hospital credentialing committees, and insurance providers should be encouraging doctors and medical staff to check on their mental wellbeing frequently.
Worthy contends: “Healthcare organizations need to support employee health at every level. Providing sustainable workloads, schedules and benefits is the key to creating that balance. Doctors and nurses might feel like they can’t prioritize their health so it’s up to leaders to do that for them.”
Mental illness is not a weakness or a crutch for anyone to be embarrassed about, especially not a healthcare provider. Punishing physicians for wanting to tackle their own mental health is dangerous and a frankly, outdated stigma. Physicians should be awarded the same care and urgency to their mental health as they do to their patients.
Image by Nik Shuliahin