Mental Health Among Australian Medical Professionals: A Critical Review

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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