Groany Jones: You have experience with clients that are health care professionals. In your experience, what are some of the commonest factors contributing to mental illness in these people?
Psychotherapist: Yes, I certainly have experience working therapeutically with a wide range of healthcare professionals. Common themes that come up include:
- Inadequate or poor quality supervision
- A mismatch between a supervisor and my client
- Long working hours and the effects of shift work
- Sleep deprivation
- Poor nutrition
- Ongoing pressures of study and exams
- A work culture which places high and sometimes unrealistic expectations on its workers and construes healthcare professionals as “invulnerable”
- A workplace hierarchy which can disempower workers by discouraging protest and complaints
- Bullying in the workplace
- Inadequate support – both professional and personal
- Inability to address work-life imbalance
- Fear of judgment, fear of failing, fear about the future
- Poor self-esteem, lack of confidence
- Financial pressures
- Relational issues at work and at home
- Family responsibilities and obligations
- Vicarious traumatization, burnout, and compassion fatigue
- Previously untreated and unrecognized mental health issues
- Poor self-care
- Growing sense of alienation, loss of zest for life, loss of sense of vitality
- Inability to self-soothe and self-regulate in healthy ways
- Unwillingness to talk about problems and issues for fear of being diagnosed with a mental health condition
- Fear of mandatory reporting
@darthuglyskull: that’s a lot of issues, many of which relate to toxic medical culture #psychotherapistqanda
@violettotoro: the loss of these young lives is so tragic. We must bring about change! #psychotherapistqanda
Groany Jones: – and what strategies usually help people to recover from their difficulties? To cope with their mental illness and the issues within medical culture?
There are many strategies that can help health workers cope with these factors. The most important ones are not to withdraw emotionally and socially, to keep connected to one’s support network, to have trusted confidantes and to keep oneself involved with the things one feels passionate about (outside work and one’s career aspirations). Attention to sleep, nutrition, exercise, one’s deeper (spiritual) self, and mindfulness techniques are also helpful.
Seeking the support of an experienced, trusted and competent therapist can also assist one in feeling less alone, less ill-equipped and more hopeful, more in touch with one’s strengths and competencies. When under stress we often lose touch with the tools we already have in our toolboxes. Talking to an experienced therapist can help to put things into perspective and to see new pathways and possibilities, which were not available to us when under duress. The benefits of regular debriefing with a trained professional are enormous.
Groany Jones: Thank you psychotherapist. That’s all for tonight. #rollcredits
