Prof Hamid Ghodse wrote many years back recognizing considerable evidence that doctors are suffering from high levels of stress. According to some researches, burnout was experienced as a combination of a high level of stress and a low level of job satisfaction. Studies in the US have shown some specialties carry a higher risk than others.
Why concern?
Its potential effect on the level of care provided to patients based on clinical incompetence, unethical behavior and psychiatric impairment.
Many doctors are hiding that they are in distress. What more to suggest they are depress, anxious or abuse substances? The colleagues may suspect that his friend was depress but keep mum not to do anything about it. This conspiracy of silence and denial often aggravate the problem.
How to deal about it?
Doctors have to develop a good deal of friendship, have a circle of friends who are caring and provide feedback on his competencies, judgement as well as personal advise from beloved wife and family members.
He must admit if he has psychological or psychiatric issues so that help could be given as early as possible. I feel that all professionals should have their own trusted psychiatrist as practiced in the Western world.
What if psychiatrists are distress? Go to your trusted colleagues. If you have no one to trust, you really have a big problem….
Idea-logy 