Occupational Medicine Advance Access originally published online on September 16, 2008
Occupational Medicine 2009 59(1):53-55; doi:10.1093/occmed/kqn111
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Short Reports |
Doctors, their mental health and capacity for work
38 Harwood Road, Fulham, London SW6 4PH, UK
Background Information about doctors’ mental ill-health is limited. This study looks at doctors’ careers following mental illness and the strategies that helped them return to work.
Aim To examine the effect of mental ill-health on doctors’ careers.
Methods Questionnaire survey of members of the Doctors Support Network (DSN). The DSN is a peer support group for doctors who have experienced, or are experiencing, mental ill-health.
Results One hundred and sixteen doctors (35% response rate) returned completed questionnaires (n = 116, 63% female, 37% male). Prior to their ill-health, 80% worked full time, 15% part-time, 2% were not working and 3% were medical students. Following illness, 33% worked full time (P < 0.05), 36% part-time (P < 0.05) and 29% were not working (P < 0.01). Flexible working practices were the most helpful reported strategy for enabling a doctor to return to work.
Conclusions Following mental ill-health, a doctor’s capacity to work full time is reduced. Most doctors return to full-time or part-time work. With improved support, more doctors may be able to return to work.
Keywords Capacity for work; impaired physician; mental illness
Correspondence to: Liz Miller, 38 Harwood Road, Fulham, London SW6 4PH, UK. Tel: +44 7957489961; e-mail: liz{at}lizmiller.co.uk