VIC:Depression common among doctors

AAP General News (Australia)
08-31-2010
VIC:Depression common among doctors

MELBOURNE, Aug 31 AAP - Depression and anxiety among doctors is common, with suicide
rates above the national average, a doctors' mental forum has been told.

Research carried out by the national depression initiative beyondblue found that many
doctors and medical students who suffered depression and anxiety ignored their condition.

The former president of the Australian Medical Association Dr Mukesh Haikerwal says
it's important that doctors seek help in the same way that the general population seeks
help.

"The key concern is that the medical profession doesn't seek help for various and many
reasons and it's very important that they do," Dr Haikerwal told the Melbourne forum,
which was organised by beyondblue.

"The downside of all this, apart from having people who are very ill with depression,
is that they can take their own lives.

"We see a greater rate of suicide in the medical profession, much more amongst women
in the profession, and we don't need to get to that stage, we need to get help early and
treat it.

"We would want our patients to seek help when they have these problems and nip things
in the bud early and it's just the same for the medical guys."

beyondblue chairman Jeff Kennett said the public should be encouraged that the review
has been carried out and steps are being taken to improve the health of the profession.

He said doctors needed to make sure they were healthy before taking care of the health
of their patients.

"There's not much point putting so much pressure on our doctors that we expect them
to be there 24/7 if the result of that is they become ill, that they become depressed,
that their professional level of service drops," Mr Kennett said.

"We need to have a fit medical profession and we're a long way from doing that."

He said the suicide amongst female doctors was more than twice the national average.

The forum heard that doctors were reluctant to admit their problems because of a number
of factors, including concerns about being stigmatised, their standing with patients and
peers plus the potential impact on their careers.

AAP jxt/gfr/it

KEYWORD: DOCTORS

� 2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.