Confronting Depression and Suicide in Medical Students and Physicians

[sequoia]

This month's Academic Medicine Free articles address a very important yet rarely discussed issue for medical students and physicians, suicide and depression.

I've read the articles and I've posted the link below so you all can read them. I wonder if medical schools make any effort to maintain the mental health of their students. What do you all think?

http://www.academicmedicine.org/subscriptions/free-articles.shtml

Editorial: "Helping Physicians in Training to Care for Themselves," by Michael Whitcomb

Research: "How Perceived Risk and Personal and Clinical Experience Affect Medical Students' Decisions to Seek Treatment for Major Depression," by Angela Nuzzarello and Julie H. Goldberg

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[sequoia]

Attached are two additional articles that were references for the editorial listed in my previous post.

Click this link to access the pdf free at AcademicMedicine.org:
http://www.academicmedicine.org/cgi/reprint/77/9/918?ijkey=25122fc85d46798d6039d0cc21699d8b45fee293

 

[synapse lapse]

Thank you for posting this.

 

[aparecida]

Really interesting. I think there's a lot of stigma still on depression. I suspect people are probably afraid to ask for help for fear it will affect their academic standing; so much of medical training has fostered a "grin and bear it" mentality in other respects that depressed people probably extend that to their own depression. One of the hallmarks of depression in general is guilt / an inability to see oneself as legitimately depressed and in need of help. I imagine the medical school pressure makes this worse.

 

[Ypo.]

This month's Academic Medicine Free articles address a very important yet rarely discussed issue for medical students and physicians, suicide and depression.

I've read the articles and I've posted the link below so you all can read them. I wonder if medical schools make any effort to maintain the mental health of their students. What do you all think?

http://www.academicmedicine.org/subscriptions/free-articles.shtml

Editorial: "Helping Physicians in Training to Care for Themselves," by Michael Whitcomb

Research: "How Perceived Risk and Personal and Clinical Experience Affect Medical Students' Decisions to Seek Treatment for Major Depression," by Angela Nuzzarello and Julie H. Goldberg

I don't know about MD schools, but most DO schools are really amazing about this.

However, I think MSUCHM is pretty supportive-although I don't think they give counseling or anything like that.

Its a shame there is not more focus on this.

 

[Pir8DeacDoc]

I know the Psych department is pretty amazing at my med school. They have made a pretty big point from day one to let us know they are here to support and help us. They offer free counseling for students, residents, and also for significant others of students and residents. I haven't felt the need to use it but I know people that have and have found it very beneficial. It can be a pretty stressful time and it's nice to know there are people there for us if we need it.

 

[fielight]

I've read the articles and I've posted the link below so you all can read them. I wonder if medical schools make any effort to maintain the mental health of their students. What do you all think?

fortunately, my school has been good about offering support. they kept telling us all about places we can seek help (Counseling Center, Student Clinic, Office of Curriculum Affairs) during orientation. the problem is that i don't think most people go through with it... the fact is, you're so busy that it's easy to feel guilty about getting help (e.g., "if i have the time to talk to a psychologist, i should be using it to study instead"). and once people come to med school, lifestyles really do change. the school really stressed that we shouldn't stop doing things we enjoy just to study... but it's difficult to take that advice when you have so much material to review (and even if you do take an hour -- the school actually suggested more like 30 minutes -- everyday to exercise or whatever, that's just 1 hour between the 4+ hours of class, 3-6 hours of studying afterwards). plus the endlessness of it all can bring anyone down. i can only speak for myself, but the way i see it, you go to class everyday, and put in the 3-5 hours to review after the lecture, but then the next day, they dump another load of new material on you... so you're studying everyday, studying on weekends in anticipation of an upcoming exam, and of course, reviewing all day right before the actual exam... at some point, it becomes rather bleak. i don't want to sound too pessimistic, because at the same time, you're learning about all these fascinating things that you've always wanted to know about, and some days are easier than other really tough days. at the end, it comes down to how you manage your life; having a good support system really helps, and if you've got a significant other, then it can be much easier (e.g., not having to deal with all the mundane details of life -- of course, a relationship in med school has its own problems too).

 

[efex101]

I agree that at times it does become very bleak indeed but there is a littly teenie light at the end of the tunnel....

 

[BobA]

I agree that the conditions at med school probably contribute to depression rates among students. It is unfortunate that med school is such a meat grinder. . . of course, I'm thinking that I'll be different - we'll see!

 

[Psycho Doctor]

Really interesting. I think there's a lot of stigma still on depression. I suspect people are probably afraid to ask for help for fear it will affect their academic standing; so much of medical training has fostered a "grin and bear it" mentality in other respects that depressed people probably extend that to their own depression. One of the hallmarks of depression in general is guilt / an inability to see oneself as legitimately depressed and in need of help. I imagine the medical school pressure makes this worse.

all medical intervention including treatment for depression is confidential information

 

[miui]

all medical intervention including treatment for depression is confidential information

Does that include medications such as antidepressants, especially if they get covered by insurances, wouldn't those appear on your medical records making them potentially appear non-confidential?

Interesting article.

 

[willen101383]

Does that include medications such as antidepressants, especially if they get covered by insurances, wouldn't those appear on your medical records making them potentially appear non-confidential?

Interesting article.

A. this thread is from 2004
B. your medical records ARE confidential.

 

[miui]

A. this thread is from 2004
B. your medical records ARE confidential.

The hell? How did I end up at such an old thread. Ugh, long night apparently. Sorry. Thanks for the reply nonetheless.