Doctors' mental health summit needed
AMA Queensland is calling on the State Government to convene a Doctors’ Mental Health Summit to bring together experts, government, academics, medical leaders and doctors to work on practical solutions to ease pressures on the medical workforce, particularly on doctors in training and medical students.
“The first article listed in the PubMed database on physician suicide was published in 1922. Sadly, 100 years later, the problem continues to be swept under the rug or be paid lip service by leaders in hospitals and in medical education,” AMA Queensland President Dr Maria Boulton said.
“Doctors and medical students are reluctant to seek help for their mental health for fear of professional repercussions and social stigma. Proposed changes to the National Law that would allow regulators to publicly name doctors under investigation will only make this worse.”
AMA Queensland Committee of Doctors in Training (CDT) Chair Dr Rob Nayer said the statistics are startling.
“Today, female doctors commit suicide at 227 per cent the rate of the general population and male doctors at 141 per cent,” Dr Nayer said.
“Doctors in training are especially vulnerable. One in five reports suicidal ideation and one in two experience moderate to high distress.
“We don’t want to see another doctor take their life. It’s time for the Queensland Government to take action.
“We’re calling for a Doctors’ Mental Health Summit, like we have seen in other states, to chart a way forward.
“Recently the South Australian Government amended its laws to make workforce psychosocial wellbeing a clear responsibility of hospital directors. This is an excellent example of meaningful change to address a critical driving factor in physician suicide.
“Change was needed years ago. Refusing to work towards that change now is inexcusable.”
Medical students are also increasingly vulnerable and are losing their lives.
“We need to bring the deans of medical schools to this summit. They have a duty of care to their students,” Dr Boulton said.