A new study published in BMJ Open paints a concerning picture of mental health difficulties among GPs.
The qualitative study used in-depth interviews with 47 GPs to examine personal experiences of living and working with mental illness and distress, as part of a wider study reporting the barriers and facilitators to help-seeking for mental illness and burn-out, and sources of stress/distress for GPs in England.
Participants self-identified as currently living with mental distress; returning to work after treatment; off sick or retired early as a result of mental distress; or without experience of mental distress.
Many of the participating GPs reported distressing experiences and significant psychological and physical symptoms relating to chronic stress, anxiety, depression and/or burn-out and a quarter articulated thoughts of suicide. Many talked about their shame, humiliation and embarrassment at their perceived inability to cope with the stresses of their job and/or their symptoms of mental illness.
The authors say the findings “paint a concerning picture of the situation affecting primary care doctors, with participants' accounts suggesting there is a considerable degree of mental ill health and reduced well-being among GPs.”
“The solutions are complex and lie in prevention and provision,” the authors say. They call for greater recognition of the components and cumulative effect of occupational stressors for doctors, such as the increasing workload and the clinical and emotional demands of the job, as well as the need for a culture shift within medicine to more supportive and compassionate work environments.
