Junior doctors desperate for mental health support

Distressed junior doctors are desperately seeking counselling over the phone prompting serious concerns about their wellbeing.

Distressed junior doctors are desperately seeking counselling over the phone prompting serious concerns about their wellbeing.

Struggling to take leave and managing mounting workloads, the young medicos are turning to 24/7 hotlines to get support lacking in their workplaces.

Calls made by trainees to the Doctors Health Advisory Service (DHAS) mental health helpline jumped by 32.5 per cent between November 2020 and October 2021.

Juniors are bearing the brunt of mental health issues in the workforce with the data showing a much lower increase — of 7.6 per cent — in the overall number of calls.

Jjunior doctors often feel guilty about taking leave.

The biggest driver for the cohort’s declining mental state was stress with a staggering 70 per cent of the calls from junior doctors about “work related stress”.

DHAS medical director Kathryn Hutt said long work hours, difficult workloads, and workplace issues including bullying were among the top reasons for calls.

“Many of our callers express doubts about whether they’ve made the right decision in terms of the career,” Dr Hutt said.

“They are working extraordinary hours and taking on extraordinary patient loads. There isn’t any support in place to allow them to have any down time.”

Dr Hutt said junior doctors were at the coalface of the pandemic with their workloads increasing like never before and without any “adequate preparation”.

A concerning 70 per cent of calls from junior doctors were stress-related. Picture: Supplied

She called on hospitals to implement better internal policies that allow doctors to look after their own wellbeing without fearing the wrath of seniors who are responsible for their grades.

“No one is really sure of their role and this cascades down. Their service has increased because of the impact of Covid on the frontline in hospitals. The service component has increased and there hasn’t been adequate preparation,” she said.

“There hasn’t been an ability for them to take their normal amount of leave or any leave.”

Dr Hutt said “the highly competitive environment” meant doctors felt they “can’t be human” by taking leave and seeking support.

“One of the most common comments that I hear taking these calls is ‘Why is it that everyone else can cope?’ Doctors feel it’s about their failure,” she said.

“(They need to know) there is always someone to talk to.”

If you are a doctor who is struggling you can call the DHAS for 24/7 support on 02 9437 6552.