Mental Health
… And so much more.
This article will cover:
1. Imposter Syndrome
If you feel as though your accomplishments are inadequate and your successes are undeserved or due to chance rather than personal effort, skill, ability and competence, you are not alone. It’s called “imposter phenomenon” and doctors are more likely to experience it than other professionals. Nearly 1/4 report frequent or intense experiences and it can be associated with burnout. Imposter syndrome is loosely defined as doubting your abilities and feeling like a fraud. It disproportionately affects high-achieving people, who find it difficult to accept their accomplishments. Many question whether they’re deserving of accolades. However, “imposter syndrome” can take a fairly universal feeling of discomfort, second-guessing, and mild anxiety in the workplace.
The answer to overcoming imposter syndrome is not to fix individuals but to create an environment that fosters a variety of leadership styles and in which diverse racial, ethnic, and gender identities are seen as just as professional as the current model. Culture changes require debunking the professional norms and attitudes that cast us as superhuman, stigmatise help-seeking as weakness and position work perpetually above basic human needs and replace with a culture of authenticity and vulnerability and to replace a culture of perfectionism with a commitment to excellence and a growth mindset.
Find out more:
Listen to this podcast: Why We're Ditching the Term 'Imposter Syndrome' https://youarenotafrog.com/episodes/112/
Listen to this Podcast: How Perfectionism and Shame Lead to Stress and Burnout https://youarenotafrog.com/episodes/152/
Read these articles:
How feeling like an outsider isn’t an illusion – it’s the result of systemic bias and exclusion.
https://hbr.org/2021/02/stop-telling-women-they-have-imposter-syndrome
Partha Kar’s article on his experiences of Imposter Syndrome:
2. Stress & Burnout
Stress is part of our everyday jobs. But there is a fine line between healthy and unhealthy stress. Burnout is a specific and different entity - a sense of depersonalisation, emotional exhaustion, and sense of reduced accomplishment. There are some worrying statistics about burnout and exhaustion in doctors and it is on the increase. Perfectionist tendencies and increased engagement with their jobs make doctors more prone to burnout. Burnout Syndrome is caused by a toxic workplace culture and unmanaged stress.
Below are some useful resources which can provide direction and support if you feel like you might be suffering from stress or burnout.
WARD (Well And Resilient Doctors) podcast: https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-sk94v-14c6f95?utm_campaign=w_share_ep&utm_medium=dlink&utm_source=w_share
Watch videos of Richard Dodds and Tony Clayson, both very experienced surgeons, discussing their personal experiences of burnout: https://www.boa.ac.uk/careers-in-t-o/wellbeing-resources.html
Watch this Webinar:
The RCSEng have released a very insightful webinar on wellbeing and burnout
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrKDJj4tX_s
Listen to these podcasts:
How to Stop Worrying When There’s a Lot to Worry About: https://youarenotafrog.com/episodes/106/
The Power of Pressing Pause: https://youarenotafrog.com/episodes/157/
Embracing Your Limits in a Limitless System: https://youarenotafrog.com/episodes/151/
The Simplest Way to Beat Stress and Work Happier: https://youarenotafrog.com/episodes/105/
Dealing with the guilt of not being okay: https://youarenotafrog.com/episodes/100/
Supporting others:
Treat Others as They Would Like to Be Treated. Top Tips for Dealing with Stress in Others: https://youarenotafrog.com/episodes/34/
3. Mental Health
If you are struggling with your mental health, you are not alone. The most important thing you can do is recognise you are struggling early and seek help.
Below is a list of different sources of support.
BMA counselling and peer support services:
Free and confidential 24/7 counselling line and peer support service open to all doctors and medical students.
https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/your-wellbeing/wellbeing-support-services/counselling-and-peer-support-services/
Practitioner Health:
Practitioner health is a free, confidential NHS primary care mental health and addiction service with expertise in treating health & care professionals. The service can help with a range of mental health conditions and addictions in primary care settings. They also see healthcare professionals with more severe illnesses, such as bipolar affective disorder, personality disorders and psychosis and with a range of addiction issues.
https://www.practitionerhealth.nhs.uk/
Trust support:
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Employee Assistance or Staff Support service - Check your intranet pages or ask HR or your PGME team for information.
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Occupational Health- support to help you return to work. Ask your supervisor for a referral. Some OH departments allow you to self-refer.
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Return to Training SuppoRTT - for individual support returning to work/training after 12 weeks or more away from the work environment.
NHS Horizons:
NHS Horizons hold webinars on the second Wednesday of every month, with different wellbeing focuses - including finances, leadership, working parents, preparing for winter,
psychological safety and many more. You can register your interest in upcoming webinars, and review previously recorded webinars.
https://horizonsnhs.com/caring4nhspeople/
The Doctors Support Network:
This site gives you access to a confidential peer support network for both doctors and medical students alike with concerns regarding their mental wellbeing.
4. Loss & Bereavement
The loss of a relative, close friend or colleague is devastating and requires generous self-care alongside understanding from colleagues and managers. Everybody experiences grief
differently and it is important to talk to somebody you trust who can liaise with work to ensure you get all the time and support you need.
Compassionate leave:
Compassionate Leave is paid time off available to employees to cope with a bereavement. It applies in the case of bereavement following the death of a dependent or close relative.
Where no blood or marriage relationship exists, supervisors and managers should use their discretion in determining whether compassionate leave should apply. Time off is to help facilitate arrangements and to attend the funeral of a spouse, dependent, partner or close relative. Your contract will be unaffected by taking Compassionate Leave and receive your normal
rate of pay in the usual way.
Finance:
This excellent website summarises all you need to consider regarding financial matters following bereavement:
https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/family-and-care/death-and-bereavement
How to support yourself or colleagues:
This website addresses particularly difficult scenarios you may encounter at work or in your personal life:
https://www.sad.scot.nhs.uk/bereavement/
Cruse Bereavement Care is a charity offering bereavement support online and by phone:
The Compassionate Friends (TCF) is a charitable organisation of bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents dedicated to the support and care of other similarly bereaved family members who have suffered the death of a child or children of any age and from any cause.
https://www.tcf.org.uk
Hospice UK:
A hospice UK initiative to share stories about bereavement.
https://www.hospiceuk.org/our-campaigns/dying-matters
Listen to these podcasts:
Caring for Ourselves Whilst Coping With Loss with Dr Jonathan Griffiths, who lost his son to a rare haematological condition and his journey of a slow recovery following this huge loss.
https://youarenotafrog.com/episodes/29/
5. Addiction and Substance Misuse
Resources for drug, alcohol, or other addiction concerns:
Sick Doctors Trust: Provision of early intervention and treatment for doctors suffering from addiction to alcohol or other drugs.
http://sick-doctors-trust.co.uk/
British Doctors and Dentists Group: A support society for doctors and dentists who are recovering, or wish to recover, from addiction/dependency on alcohol or other drugs. The
confidentially of all group members is strictly retained. Regular meeting groups in Scotland, Wales and England. The BDDG also has family groups to support the loved ones of the sick
doctor or dentist.
6. Supported Return to Training (SuppoRTT)
Trainees sometimes take time out from training for different reasons and for varying lengths of time. This can be a difficult and stressful time for the trainee. Health Education England supports trainees and helps them to return to training.
For training breaks longer than 3 months, the SuppoRTT (Supported Return to Training) programme has been set up.
This flexible programme has been designed to include enhanced supervision, clinical simulation days, mentorship and coaching, resilience training, practical advice and sign
posting.
https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/supporting-doctors-returning-training-after-time-out
7. Edits / updates / improvements?
These support / welfare articles require constant updating to reflect the changing world of
the modern Orthopaedic trainee.
If you have any edits / updates / improvements for this article please email them to:
wins@bota.org.uk
Thank you for your support.
Original article by Robyn Brown.
Adapted for BOTA by Florence Shekleton.