SA doctors say they regularly continue to work despite feeling mentally unwell, reducing their capacity to empathise with patients and raising the risk of mistakes, according to a survey from the Medical Protection Society (MPS).
“This is a pervasive problem in both the public and private sector, (among) young and old. If doctors can’t function at their best, patient care is compromised,” said MPS medicolegal consultant Volcker Hitzeroth.
The MPS, which provides medical indemnity to 300,000 healthcare professionals worldwide, surveyed 802 doctors in SA about mental health and the workplace. Most of the participants (59%) worked solely in the private healthcare sector, 18% worked in the public sector only, 18% worked in both public and private facilities and the remaining 5% worked for other institutions such as universities and research organisations.
The findings indicate many SA doctors are putting on a brave face and pressing ahead with their jobs despite poor mental health.
Almost three quarters (72%) of the respondents said they had at times gone to work or continued to work despite not feeling mentally well enough to do so, and 61% said they felt guilty if they took time off because of their mental health.
More than half (58%) said working while feeling mentally unwell contributed to a loss of concentration and more than a third (38%) said poor mental health contributed to practising defensive medicine.
Doctors who felt anxious and overwhelmed were more likely to hesitate in making a diagnosis, order additional tests and prescribe more medicines than were strictly necessary, said Hitzeroth. “There could be a tendency to over-investigate and over-treat,” he said.
Among the reasons participants gave for continuing to work despite their mental fragility were fear of letting down their colleagues or patients, feelings of guilt if they stayed at home, and a workplace culture that did not support taking time off for mental wellbeing.
Survey participants drew attention to the stigma surrounding mental health conditions, with one anonymous respondent saying it was “viewed as admitting weakness in a profession where being able to cope is everything”.
The findings were consistent across all age groups, with doctors both young and old saying they felt pressure from patients and colleagues to work regardless of their mental health, said Hitzeroth.
“It is a problem that needs recognising and addressing. We need to make sure our healers have time to heal,” he said.
Almost 90% of respondents said enabling doctors to take time off when they needed to would help reduce “presenteeism” and stop people showing up for work despite not being able to do their jobs effectively.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.