Doctors continue to have ‘substantial and persistent fear’ of stigma around mental health problems, acording to a survey of more than 2,100 female doctor-parents. Almost half of the doctors surveyed believed they had met the definition for a mental illness at some time during their career but had not sought treatment. Two-thirds said fear of stigma drove them to keep their worries quiet, citing concern that disclosure would cause others to doubt their ability to keep up with a demanding profession. One in three had received a formal mental health diagnosis since medical school.
Just 6 per cent of doctors had disclosed this to their licensing authority. Many thought they could manage the situation on their own, including writing their own prescriptions. "Medical schools, hospitals, physician groups and medical professional societies need to do more to help trainees and physicians…
