Cideous Posted June 1, 2018 Share Posted June 1, 2018 The recent thread on PA's and anxiety sparked me to post this. Please read these articles. It might just save you or a colleague. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/what-ive-learned-from-my-tally-of-757-doctor-suicides/2018/01/12/b0ea9126-eb50-11e7-9f92-10a2203f6c8d_story.html?utm_term=.0e71c335f309 https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/what-ive-learned-from-my-tally-of-757-doctor-suicides/2018/01/12/b0ea9126-eb50-11e7-9f92-10a2203f6c8d_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.ada86695f7b4 "Happy" doctors also die by suicide. Many doctors who die by suicide appear as the happiest, most well-adjusted people on the outside. Just back from Disneyland, just bought tickets for a family cruise, just gave a thumbs-up to the team after a successful surgery — to mention only a few cases from my list — and hours later they shoot themselves in the head. Doctors are masters of disguise. Even fun-loving docs who crack jokes and make patients smile all day may be suffering in silence. Malpractice suits can be devastating . Humans make mistakes. Yet when doctors make mistakes, they're publicly shamed in court, on TV and in newspapers (that live online forever). Many continue to suffer the agony of harming someone else — unintentionally — for the rest of our lives. No time for our own pain Like everyone else, doctors have personal problems. We get divorced, have custody battles, infidelity, disabled children, deaths in our families. Yet working 60 to 80 or more hours per week immersed in our patients' pain means we often have no time to deal with our own. I'm always surprised by how often nonmedical people tell me they are shocked that doctors have the same mental-health issues and personal problems that everyone else has. Some people in the medical profession believe the public doesn't need to know that doctor suicide is a real problem, as if a healer being in pain is shameful and would frighten patients. (A few years ago, I was honored to be invited to a special event hosted by the American Medical Association. They were interested in previewing a TEDMed talk I was scheduled to give about doctor suicides. But shortly before the event, I was disinvited: People were "uncomfortable'' with the topic, I was told.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator ventana Posted June 1, 2018 Moderator Share Posted June 1, 2018 do they break this down by specialty? Would love to see a longitudinal study of the primary care fields versus the specialists over the years as well to see if managed care and capitation have any effect..... Sad but I suspect we might be on the same trajectory....(as I write his sleep deprived at a conference after spending a few hours on phone last night with nurses for my job which I am supposedly on CME vacation from.....) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHU-CH Posted June 1, 2018 Share Posted June 1, 2018 I heard the author speak at the PA Education conference a few years back. It was a real eye opener. She is a frequent contributor on KevinMD - her articles are worth reading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidpresentable Posted June 1, 2018 Share Posted June 1, 2018 Thanks for the post, Cid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cideous Posted June 1, 2018 Author Share Posted June 1, 2018 3 hours ago, ventana said: do they break this down by specialty? Would love to see a longitudinal study of the primary care fields versus the specialists over the years as well to see if managed care and capitation have any effect..... Sad but I suspect we might be on the same trajectory....(as I write his sleep deprived at a conference after spending a few hours on phone last night with nurses for my job which I am supposedly on CME vacation from.....) Mentioned anesthesia as being one of the highest suicide fields. Assembly-line medicine kills doctors. Brilliant, compassionate people can't care for complex patients in 15-minute slots. When punished or fired by administrators for "inefficiency" or "low productivity," doctors may become suicidal. Pressure from insurance companies and government mandates crush these talented people who just want to help patients. Many doctors cite inhumane working conditions in their suicide notes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sas5814 Posted June 1, 2018 Share Posted June 1, 2018 ^This struck me as most personally relevant. Down 1/3 of our providers, being shamed into longer shifts with more patients I see more and more of my colleagues expressing frustration and sometimes anger that I am sure is a manifestation of depression. I share these articles with my immediate leadership. Familiar with crickets chirping? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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