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Tomorrow is National Physician Suicide Awareness Day (#NPSADay), a reminder and a call to action to make time to talk – and to act – so physicians’ struggles don’t become mental health emergencies. Tragically, physicians have one of the highest suicide rates of any profession, and the past two and a half years of the COVID-19 pandemic have taken a further toll on physicians’ mental health.
Although help is available, many physicians are not aware. According to a recent survey by The Physicians Foundation, eight in 10 physicians (80%) report stigma surrounding mental health and seeking mental health care. Only one-third (31%) believe suicide prevention resources for physicians exist and are easy to access.
Physicians have identified who and what supports their mental health and wellbeing most. Confidential therapy, counseling or support phone lines (65%) and peer-to-peer support (57%) were rated as the most helpful resources. These resources and others are available through the NSMS:
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Access to Psychotherapy Sessions: As part of the Together in Medicine Program, NSMS sponsors individual and small group psychotherapy sessions via Zoom for physicians who may benefit from support in this format. Individual physicians can meet with a therapist at no charge for up to four sessions and groups of three to eight physicians can meet for up to six sessions. Participating providers can be found here and contacted directly to schedule an appointment. They will bill the NSMS confidentially for their services.
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Confidential Support Line: This call service is dedicated to assisting physicians (and dentists) who may be overwhelmed by aspects of their personal and professional lives. Calls are completely confidential, and callers are quickly connected to a physician or dentist with extensive experience in helping health professionals having problems with stress, substance abuse or mental health issues. The number for the confidential line is (213) 383-2691.
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Online Wellness Education: The NSMS has a number of on-demand educational programs addressing physician wellness, including a session on “Dealing with Uncertainty and Loss” as well as many others to help physicians cope and develop greater resiliency during difficult and stressful times. These programs are available free of charge.
There may also be mental health resources available through your medical group and/or hospital medical staff. And if you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, you can always call or text 988 or chat online at 988lifeline.org
Everyone can help by raising awareness. Please view this toolkit for sample talking points, social posts, graphics and more to utilize in your NPSA Day communications.
Additionally, The Physicians Foundation just released Part Two of the 2022 Survey of America’s Physicians, which examines the current state of physicians’ wellbeing and assesses the solutions needed to improve it. Yesterday also marked the release of a first-of-its-kind map that recognizes the states who are ALL IN for prioritizing clinician wellbeing—those who have audited and changed the intrusive language from their licensure applications. You can read more about the survey results and the ALL IN map here.
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