Training bodies urged to fix educational deficits in mental health

The recommendations are made in the study that finds high “burnout” levels among doctors.

The <em>National Study of Wellbeing of Hospital Doctors </em>in Ireland found that 1 in 10 doctors reported severe to extremely severe levels of depression, anxiety and stress and 1 in 3 doctors were found to have experienced burnout.

The study also makes recommendations for hospital management, finding it “must pay attention to the evidence on the links between psychosocial work stressors and psychological health and to use it to plan for change.”

“These findings make it imperative that action is taken to support the health and wellbeing of doctors, which will in turn, directly improve patient safety and outcomes,” said Prof Frank Murray President of the RCPI.

The research study was led by Dr Blánaid Hayes, Dean of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine.

“As an occupational physician, I know first-hand that this is a problem because I see it in my practice and I hear it from my colleagues in other hospitals too,” said Dr Hayes.

“Frontline healthcare workers and clinicians are presenting with mood disorders and stress-related conditions which are at least in part related to working conditions including staff shortages.”

Full report can be found here https://rcpi-live-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Wellbeing-Report-web.pdf