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Physician Wellness Resources
    The LifeBridge: Physician Wellness Program is designed to address the seriousness of physician burnout in our community. Practicing medicine can be highly stressful and doctors face day-to-day challenges with emotional stress and work burnout. This can impact one's personal, practice or family life. In partnership with the PSCF Foundation, we provide LifeBridge, a resource that is voluntary and confidential. Once scheduling an appointment through a private 24/7 wellness line, four free sessions are available to all PSCF members. 

 

For urgent needs, please dial 911 or National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 988 or 1-800-273-8255.

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: https://988lifeline.org/talk-to-someone-now/

Please consider making a donation to the PSCF Foundation to help us continue this important program for our physicians in need.


What Drives Doctors to Take Their Own Lives

TUESDAY, July 5, 2022 (HealthDay News) – Doctor burnout and suicide are a growing concern, a new study finds."We often overlook the physical health of our health care workers, but poor health can lead to difficulty performing tasks at work, which then leads to job stress and mental health issues," said corresponding author Dr. Kristen Kim, a resident in psychiatry at UC San Diego Health.

About 1 in 15 doctors experience suicidal thoughts, according to the study. It reviewed death investigation information from 200 physician suicides nationwide between 2003 and 2018.Researchers identified six themes in the reports: inability to work due to deteriorating health; substance use that put employment at risk; relationship conflicts affecting work; the interplay of mental health and work-related issues; legal problems; and financial stress.

In the short term, the study said, doctors need better access to primary care services, as well as help with scheduling challenges and concerns about confidentiality.

Read more


Forced Retirement Spotlighted as Risk Factor for Physician Suicide

Systemic support systems need to be implemented for physicians to prevent work-related stressors that could lead to suicide, a thematic analysis of 200 physician deaths suggested.

Among physician suicides included in the National Violent Death Reporting System database from 2003 to 2018, six themes were found to precede such deaths, including inability to work due to physical health, substance use, mental health issues, relationship conflicts, legal problems, and increased financial stress, all leading to work-related stress, reported Kristen Kim, MD, of the University of California San Diego, and colleagues.

Read more on MedPage Today


“I was ready to walk away:” One physician’s journey to rediscovering his passion for emergency medicine

This Physician's View opinion piece is written by Ademola Adewale, M.D., emergency medicine physician at AdventHealth East Orlando.

I’ve spent my entire career caring for strangers on their worst days. And during that time, I’ve watched my colleagues – fellow emergency medicine physicians and nurses – trudge through their worst days too.

The COVID-19 brought a lot of “worst days” to the hospital. And despite my experience, I was unprepared for the tsunami of emotions and stress triggered by the pandemic.

How could I possibly heal others when I didn’t feel whole myself? I couldn’t. It almost drove me out of medicine, after devoting 20 years of my life to the profession.

Read more

Podcast: 

Dr. Ademola Adewale, Emergency Medicine Physician at AdventHealth East Orlando, and President Elect of the Medical Staff at AdventHealth Hospital Central Florida Division. Here, he discusses identifying signs of burnout, his own experience with burnout, his focus on making providers whole, and more.  Click here to listen


Congress passes Dr. Lorna Breen Act to promote physician mental health

The U.S. Senate approved the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act by a unanimous voice vote, and the legislation is expected to be signed into law soon by President Joe Biden.
 
“The American Medical Association commends Congress for passing the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act,” said AMA President Gerald E. Harmon, MD. “We mourn Dr. Breen and take solace that her death prompted a desperately needed effort to focus on the mental health of physicians.”

Read more about Dr. Breen’s story and why, toencourage physicians’ healing, we must make it OK to ask for help.

Why medical societies are in a unique position to address burnout

Prior to the surge of COVID-19, physician burnout saw a decline. But as the pandemic rages on, burnout remains a concern for physicians across all medical specialties. To improve well-being and reduce physician burnout, research often looks to individual and organizational solutions to reduce administrative burden and free time to focus on patient care. But professional medical societies are in a unique position to address physician burnout and enhance well-being, according to a recent study.  Read more


The Physicians Foundation Releases New Survey revealing 55% of Physicians Know a Physician Who Considered, Attempted or Died by Suicide

"Nearly one-fifth of physicians indicated they know of someone who considered, attempted or died by suicide since the start of the pandemic alone, a time when many physicians have suffered trauma and loss.  It is vital that we make a conscious and forward effort to break down stigma and encourage physicians to seek mental health support when they need it, especially in the wake of the most significant health event in recent history."   Gary Price, MD, president of The Physicians Foundation.
Read the Report


Physician Stress During COVID

The Sound of Healing: How Assembling an Orchestra can Improve Physician Well-Being

'Death by 1000 Cuts': Medscape National Physician Burnout & Suicide Report 2021

Doctors, Facing Burnout, Turn to Self-Care

6 ways to address physician stress during COVID-19 pandemic

Coping with physician depression in the era of COVID-19

7 ways to address physicians’ pandemic stress

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and Beyond: Micropractices for Burnout Prevention and Emotional Wellness

COVID-19 Creating Stress, Anxiety Among Emergency Physicians

Physician Burnout in the Face of COVID-19

 

Medical School Wellness & Counseling Programs

University of Central Florida College of Medicine

UCF COM Wellness Program

Counseling Services
This includes counseling services with a psychologist at the Lake Nona campus, separate from the main campus Counseling & Psychological Services. These services are free to all currently enrolled students. Services are also confidential and records are entirely separate from academic records.
After Hours Crisis Hotline: (407) 823-2811 (#5)

Florida State University College of Medicine

FSU COM Wellness Program

Counseling Services
All services are provided via telepsychology appointments via Zoom during Covid. All services are free of charge to current COM students. Confidentiality of student concerns and records are maintained at all times.

 

STRESS

Nearly 90% of physicians feel stressed every day, report says

Stress Basics

 

TED TALKS

Doctors Make Mistakes: Can we talk about that?

How to Make Stress Your Friend

How to Stay Calm When You Know You'll Be Stressed

The Art of Stress Free Productivity

Feeling Good


Depression

Medscape National Physician Burnout & Suicide Report 2020: The Generational Divide

Silence Is the Enemy for Doctors Who Have Depression

 

DIET

Running on empty: a review of nutrition and physicians' well-being

Immune Boosting Foods

 

Burnout

Controlled Interventions to Reduce Burnout in Physicians

Organization-Level Interventions Best for Reducing Physician Burnout

Minnesota Hospital Ramps up Efforts to Battle Physician Burnout

4 Ways Hospitals Tackle Physician Burnout

Changes in Burnout and Satisfaction With Work-Life Balance in Physicians

A Double-Edged Sword:  What Makes Doctors Great also Drives Burnout

Work-life Balance Out of Whack for Many Doctors

Disturbing Trends in Physician Burnout and Satisfaction With Work-Life Balance

Preventing Stress and Burnout for Physicians and PAs

How to Beat Burnout - 7 Signs Physicians Should Know

Effective Leadership - One Remedy for Physician Burnout

Physician Burnout Rates Top 50 Percent

Physician Burnout - 3 Signs and 3 Simple Prevention Steps

5 Steps to Prevent or Mitigate Physician Burnout

How to help medical practice staff avoid burnout

Easing Doctor Burnout with Mindfulness

Physician Burnout: A potential threat to successful health care reform

Burnout increasing among U.S. doctors

Study: Doctor Burnout May Increase Effect of Biases on Care

Physician Burnout Courses

Burnout Proof Mobile App

Mayo Clinic CEO Dr. John Noseworthy on Physician Burnout and Value-Based Care

Build a Better Day Off

Physician Burnout Births the First MD Rapper who will Revolutionize American Healthcare

The Art of Stillness

Got a Meeting? Take a Walk

 

Resilience

How Does Social Support Enhance Resilience in the Trauma-Exposed Individual?

Insights on Residency Training - What is Resilience?

Emotionally Resilient Living


Mindfulness

Teaching Doctors to be Mindful

How Mindfulness Can Make for Better Doctors

A Multi-center Study of Physician Mindfulness and Health Care Quality

 

Websites

Mindful Medicine

The Happy MD

Tom Murphy, MD

Institute for Physician Integration

Mayo Clinic Physician Well-Being Program

UMASS Center for Mindfulness in Medicine

Federation of State Physician Health Programs (FSPHP)