Mental Health Among Australian Medical Professionals: A Critical Review

This report discusses the prevalence of mental health disorders among medical professionals in Australia, the challenges they face, and the need for intervention techniques for promoting good mental health. It also highlights the Mental Health Commission Strategic Plan and provides recommendations for improving the mental health of medical professionals.

Mental health among a specific
occupation: Australian Medical
Professionals

Contents
1.0 INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................1
2.0 RATIONALE.............................................................................................................................1
3.0 OUTLINE OF MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTION INTERVENTION..................................3
4.0 LINKS TO THE MENTAL HEALTH COMMISSION STRATEGIC PLAN.........................4
5.0 RECOMMENDATIONS...........................................................................................................4
6.0 CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................................5
7.0 REFERENCES..........................................................................................................................6

1.0 INTRODUCTION
Mental health disorders are characterized by a wide range of signs and symptoms that
affect cognitive thinking and result in behavioural alterations. According to the Australian
Bureau of Statistics, about two in five Australians from the age of 16-85 years have experienced
a mental health issues at least once in their lifetime. Out of all the disorders, anxiety is the most
common behavioural condition affecting more than 13% of the Australian population. Annual
occupational surveys depicts high rates of stress and anxiety in medical professionals in
Australia (Knaak, Szeto & Dobson, 2018). Medical professionals in general experience high
rates of psychological distress along with consistent suicide thoughts. Healthcare professionals
are at a high risk of contracting depression, anxiety and substance abuse. This report highlights a
critical review of mental health issues faced by medical professionals in Australia the discussion
also revolves around relevant intervention techniques for the promotion of mental health.
2.0 RATIONALE
Untreated mental health disorders are directly linked to a variety of negative attributes.
These attributes include the poor performance, high medical expenses and increased risk of
suicide. Illness of the brain causes disturbances in thinking capacity along with alteration in
mood and emotions. There are several studies which suggest that medical professionals
experience work related anxiety on a daily basis which makes them succumb to substance abuse.
Being a medical professional is both, physically and emotionally draining (Marynowski-Traczyk
& et. al., 2019). However, there are only a few of them which seek help and support while other
do not due to the stigma attached to mental health issues. Additionally, high levels of constant
regulation and scrutiny affects about 54% of the doctors in Australia, leading to creating a
negative impact on regular life functioning of about a quarter of them. The professional
confidence of doctors is hampered when illness is left untreated. The prevalence of general
distress and psychological disorders reported in medical professionals is extremely high. The
national survey of mental health and well-being reported that the occurrence of mental health
disorders is higher in medical professional compared to the general public. On an average, an
estimate of about 21% of the entire doctor population in Australia have been clinically diagnosed
with high stress levels and anxiety. About 24.8% of the medical professionals have shown
symptoms of thoughts of suicide, out of which 2% of them have actually committed suicide
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(Foster, Roche, Giandinoto & Furness, 2020). The mental health prevention commission plan
aims at addressing the mental health and substance abuse related disorders.
This plan also focuses on providing evidence based information for the promotion of
mental health and drug prevention programs. General mental health problems such as
psychological distress and other psychiatric disorders were reported more in females compared
to male medical professionals. High levels of burnouts and levels of cynicism are stressful and
demanding for Australian doctors. However, the most common cause of psychiatric distress is
because of imbalance between work and personal lives. This imbalance is caused by long shift
hours and fear of making mistakes while treating a patient. The major objectives of this plan is to
implement prevention and promotional strategies for strengthening the information for mental
health acknowledgment (Spitzer & Endicott, 2018). These instances lead to heavy emotional
exhaustion and low professional efficacy. There is a high likelihood of development of mental
illness because certain personality traits exhibited by medical professionals that have the
potential to act against their mental health such as perfectionism, individualism and ambitious
mindset. Therefore, it is crucial to address the challenges faced by medical professionals in
Australia in order to increase the quality of care imparted by healthcare institutions. The fact the
doctors and other medical professionals are human beings is not acknowledged by immediate
society and institutions. Henceforth, the development of psychiatric illnesses, feelings of
frustrations, guilt, stress, depression and anxiety are bound to happen. In order to combat these
feelings, health professionals use their own personal coping mechanisms with an intention to
cure their mental illnesses.
The Mental health prevention commission plan aims at creating awareness about myths
and stigma surrounding mental health disorders for medical professionals. This initiative is
important for creating a safe environment for medical health professionals to freely discuss there
issues related to their mental health. Addiction to drugs and alcohol can be prevented by
introducing effective coping mechanisms for pushing away emotional discomfort. Healthcare
workers suffering from mental health issues need to fully heal from their disorders to be able to
provide appropriate care to patients. Promotion of mental health disorders helps in assessment of
risks associated with developing a disorder of the brain (Rosen, Gill, & Salvador-Carulla, 2020).
Stigma related to doctor's mental health issues can be prevented by elimination of barriers that
portray mental illness as a shameful secret. The action plan implemented focuses more on
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improving the conditions of healthcare professionals suffering from serious mental disorders
disrupting the normal functioning of their lives. The medicine and dentistry culture is not
generally supportive because of which the onset of mental illnesses is really common affecting
25% of the doctors in Australia. A cluster of suicides were reported among healthcare
professionals as a result of an overwhelming amount of pressure put on workers in the healthcare
sector. These suicides portray that doctors are struggling to cope with the burdens of patient care
along with numerous factors that make it difficult for them to keep up with mental issues.
3.0 OUTLINE OF MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTION INTERVENTION
Mental promotion interventional strategies includes implementation of a combination of
cognitive behavioural programmes along with social skills training. These programmes are
supported by imparting psycho education and acceptance towards interpersonal therapy.
Psychological intervention techniques involve the process of addressing the root of the issue
which is done through cognitive behavioural therapy, dialectical behaviour therapy, dual
diagnosis treatment and trauma therapy. It is crucial to acknowledge that good relationships with
peers and fellow co-workers are important for mental well-being. Mental health has a direct
relations with physical health because of which it is important for being physically active by
working out, going for a walk etc. The implementation of mental health crisis intervention might
be helpful for medical professionals for the management of their suicidal thoughts and their
struggles to manage psychiatric distress (Bowman, Easpaig & Fox, 2020). Cognitive counselling
is a great initiative for creating a safe environment to heal from emotional, mental and
behavioural challenges faced by healthcare workers in Australia. These counselling methods
include family counselling, discharge planning, individualized therapy and group therapy for
handling stress through enforcement of healthy coping mechanisms. The use of evidence based
techniques by psychological interventions will help medical professionals recover from their
mental health challenges and help them in their long-term recovery (Mendes & McCurdy, 2020).
There is no single treatment for mental health disorders but a combination of collective
efforts combining mental, physical and emotional efforts. Coping with stress becomes easier by
practising mindfulness as it prevents a person suffering from mental disorder to spiral out of
control. For patients suffering from substance abuse, behavioural counselling, withdrawal
therapies, evaluation and treatment of co-occurring mental issues are some options that have
proved to be successful in the treating drug addiction. Most treatment programmes employ the
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use of psychotherapy as a hallmark for being the most effective method. There is a high chance
of restoring to substance abuse when a healthcare professional is suffering from generalized
anxiety disorder or persistent stress. The main aim should be treating mental health problem
along with substance use disorder as otherwise, the combination of these illnesses can lead to
various co morbidities of diseases. The promotion of mental health helps increasing protective
factors which promote healthy behaviours in individuals to prevent the early onset of mental
health disorders (Wheeler & et. al., 2018). The implementation of promotional activities reduce
the potential for risk factors that can lead to increased risk of developing a mental disorder. It is
crucial to create living conditions for supporting mental health in healthcare settings. Healthy
lifestyles are responsible for protecting the political, socio-cultural and economic rights of the
individuals suffering from anxiety related disorders.
4.0 LINKS TO THE MENTAL HEALTH COMMISSION STRATEGIC
PLAN
The Mental health disorder commission plan will ensure making a powerful impact in
improving the mental health of medical professionals. The main aim of this plan is to reduce
stress among healthcare workers by spreading awareness and reduce the social stigma associated
with mental disorders of the brain (Perkins & et. al., 2019). Priority areas adopted by the national
mental health strategy includes social inclusion and recovery for targeted group of individuals
such as medical professionals in Australia. The implementation of prevention and early
intervention for clinical diagnosis of this disease comes under priority area 2. This area is
followed by service access, coordination and continuity of care for the recovery for professionals
suffering from mental health disorders. Consistent improvements in the quality are to be made to
ensure that the aims of the National mental health strategy are met by execution of innovative
ideas (Tran & et. al., 2020).
5.0 RECOMMENDATIONS
Social isolation and fear of experiencing repercussions by seeking help is the main reason
that medical professionals are more likely to experience ill mental health. For the delivery of
excellent patient care, it is crucial for the medical staff to be healthy. Intervention techniques for
promotion of good mental health includes emphasising on interpersonal relationships and
balancing working culture with personal life (Bartram & Stewart, 2019). Successful intervention
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techniques involves multiple stakeholders for improving the existing intervention for them to be
more effective. Practising physical activities such as indoor yoga, running and strength training
can help in improving the mood and overall sleep quality of the medical professional given that
they have hectic schedules. Promoting effective communication by providing adequate support
from supervisors and managers ensures facilitation of interpersonal communication. This will
prevent the spreading of misinformation which can further damage the mental health condition
of medical professionals. Organizing CBT sessions for doctors in their workplaces can help them
to openly discuss about their problems. Mitigation of mental health disorder is possible through
addressing the risk factors responsible for emotional and physical burnout. The administration of
the health institute should implement measures for reducing workloads, streamlining workflows
and encouraging support programmes to distribution of mental health related information. To
help healthcare workers increase their job satisfaction, it is crucial to implement evidence based
strategies for the overall improvement of physical and mental well being of healthcare workers
(Brown & Bond, 2019). The work efficiency of healthcare workers can be increased by
indulging themselves in the process of healing by working with a psychologist to prevent
suicides by medical professionals.
6.0 CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be concluded that the physical and mental health of medical
professionals to important for both, the patients and healthcare institutions. Unprecedented levels
of anxiety, depression and burnout is experienced by the healthcare system in Australia.
Therefore, it is crucial to acknowledge the emotional and behavioural challenges faced by
healthcare professionals such as psychiatric distress and generalized anxiety disorders.
Professionals in tr5aining are known to experience considerable amounts of stress which is
aggravated by their personality traits of being a perfectionist. According to the mental health
illness commission plan, the rate of distress is extremely high in females compared to male
medical professionals. The implementation of strategies for promotion of mental health will
enable healthcare professionals to reduce the stigma associated with mental illnesses along with
creating a safe space for overcoming emotional challenges that led to suicidal thoughts.
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7.0 REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Bartram, M., & Stewart, J. M. (2019). Income-based inequities in access to psychotherapy and
other mental health services in Canada and Australia. Health policy, 123(1), 45-50.
Bowman, S., Easpaig, B. N. G., & Fox, R. (2020). Virtually caring: A qualitative study of
internet-based mental health services for LGBT young adults in rural Australia. Rural and
Remote Health, 20(1).
Brown, L. J., Jones, G. M., & Bond, M. J. (2019). E-health: psychosocial challenges for South
Australian rural mental health consumers. Rural and Remote Health, 19(3).
Foster, K., Roche, M., Giandinoto, J. A., & Furness, T. (2020). Workplace stressors,
psychological well‐being, resilience, and caring behaviours of mental health nurses: A
descriptive correlational study. International journal of mental health nursing, 29(1), 56-68.
Knaak, S., Szeto, A., & Dobson, K. (2018). Stigma towards mental disorders in healthcare:
research, findings and programs from the mental health commission of Canada's opening
minds initiative. Journal: The Official Publication of the Ontario Occupational Health
Nurses Association, 37(2), 37-41.
Marynowski-Traczyk, D., Broadbent, M., Kinner, S. A., FitzGerald, G., Heffernan, E., Johnston,
A., ... & Crilly, J. (2019). Mental health presentations to the emergency department: A
perspective on the involvement of social support networks. Australasian Emergency
Care, 22(3), 162-167.
Mendes, P., & McCurdy, S. (2020). Policy and practice supports for young people transitioning
from out-of-home care: An analysis of six recent inquiries in Australia. Journal of Social
Work, 20(5), 599-619.
Perkins, D., Farmer, J., Salvador‐Carulla, L., Dalton, H., & Luscombe, G. (2019). The Orange
Declaration on rural and remote mental health. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 27(5),
374-379.
Rosen, A., Gill, N. S., & Salvador-Carulla, L. (2020). The future of community psychiatry and
community mental health services. Current opinion in psychiatry, 33(4), 375-390.
Spitzer, R. L., & Endicott, J. (2018, September). Medical and mental disorder: Proposed
definition and criteria. In Annales Médico-psychologiques, revue psychiatrique (Vol. 176,
No. 7, pp. 656-665). Elsevier Masson.
Tran, Q. N., Lambeth, L. G., Sanderson, K., de Graaff, B., Breslin, M., Huckerby, E. J., ... &
Neil, A. L. (2020). Trend of emergency department presentations with a mental health
diagnosis in Australia by diagnostic group, 2004–05 to 2016–17. Emergency Medicine
Australasia, 32(2), 190-201.
Wheeler, A. J., Roennfeldt, H., Slattery, M., Krinks, R., & Stewart, V. (2018). Codesigned
recommendations for increasing engagement in structured physical activity for people with
serious mental health problems in Australia. Health & Social Care in the
Community, 26(6), 860-870.
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