More than a quarter of cardiologists in an international survey reported experiencing mental health conditions ranging from anxiety or anger issues to major depression or other psychiatric disorders. Such conditions varied in prevalence by cardiology subspecialty and years in the field, were more common in women than in men, and were closely linked to enduring … Read more
Problematic alcohol use by physicians appears to be increasing, new research shows. However, good data on exactly how common this is and on salient risk factors are lacking, investigators note. In a systematic literature review, investigators found the prevalence of self-reported problematic alcohol use varied widely, but could affect up to one third of physicians. … Read more
After the 1995 bombing in Oklahoma City, the search and rescue response included specially trained cadaver dogs. Their job was to help detect and retrieve the missing. With each discovery, the dogs initial excitement quickly vanished, and the person was found to not have survived the incident. Hours turned into days of pulling human remains … Read more
Regardless of the setting, one of the most frequently discussed topics in healthcare is imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome was first defined by Clance and Imes as an inability to internalize success, and the tendency to attribute success to external causes such as luck, error, or knowing the appropriate individual. This definition is essential because most … Read more
Amy C. Edmondson, known for her work in psychological safety and organizational behavior, squarely places healthcare organizations in the category of “complex systems.” In her article “Strategies for Learning from Failure,” she suggests that “failures are due to the inherent uncertainty of work.” The very nature of the work requires healthcare professionals to be skilled … Read more
Thursday Night It was 9 o’clock at night when my phone rang. I didn’t recognize the number but decided to answer it anyway. It was my doctor. “Chase, I got your labs back and you have a critically low level. I spoke with someone at the hospital, I think I know what is happening, but … Read more
The interplay between an individual’s work as a physician and problems associated with physical and mental health, substance use, relationships, legal matters, and finances all contribute to risk for suicide among physicians, new research shows. “This has meaningful implications for designing and implementing future suicide prevention interventions for healthcare workers; that is, targeting such overlapping … Read more
Growing up, I never felt comforted when someone expressed their sympathy to me when I was in a difficult situation. And I have never been good at expressing sympathy for others. When we feel sympathy for someone, we feel pity or sorrow for their situation. But we don’t understand what it is like to be … Read more
It’s an early Friday morning during the pandemic. I arrive at my clinic to find my 8 o’clock slot booked with a same-day patient. As a clinical psychologist embedded within a primary care team, I meet with patients at varying frequency. I had just met with this patient on Monday — twice in one week … Read more
Actions taken against a physician’s license for substance use are more common than those for psychological impairment or actions related to physical health, according to a recent report. Despite a sharp uptick in 2011, substance use–specific license actions taken against physicians dropped in frequency between 2004 and 2020. More than three fourths (76.3%) of license … Read more