Mental illness is thought to be more common in doctors than the general population, but under reported. Female doctors have twice the rate of suicide than the general population and GPs, anaesthetists and psychiatrists have higher rates than other hospital doctors.
The emotional toll of being a doctor can be overwhelming but doctors often fear seeking help may lead to career difficulties or stigma in a culture that ‘doctors don’t get sick’. This may lead to doctors self-treating or not seeking the support they need.
The Boorman review of NHS health and wellbeing estimated poor mental health accounts for more than a quarter of staff sickness absence in the NHS. Similarly, in the 2016 NHS Survey, 36.7% of NHS staff in England reported having suffered work-related stress and/or being unwell because of work-related stress over the past year.
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