What are barriers to mental health care for physicians? And what can be done to remove them?

There are multiple, interrelated barriers that hinder physicians and medical students from seeking help if they need it, said a special communication by Daniel Saddawi-Konefka, MD, MBA, Christine Yu Moutier, MD, and Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH. They published their review, “Reducing Barriers to Mental Health Care for Physicians: An Overview and Strategic Recommendations,” in JAMA in August, ahead of National Physician Suicide Awareness Day, Sept. 17.

Saddawi-Konefka, an anesthesiologist, is president and co-founder of the Emotional PPE Project, a nonprofit foundation dedicated to raising awareness and reducing barriers to mental health care for doctors. Moutier, a psychiatrist, is chief medical officer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). Ehrenfeld, an anesthesiologist board certified in clinical informatics, is a past president of the American Medical Association (AMA).

In this video series, Saddawi-Konefka and Moutier discuss the continuing issue of mental health care and difficulties obtaining it for physicians and other clinicians.

National Physician Suicide Awareness Day, Sept. 17, is part of Vital Signs, the health and wellness campaign sponsored by The Physicians Foundation, the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, and ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare, a coalition of health care organizations dedicated to the health of the medical workforce.

AFSP also has resources dedicated to suicide prevention among health care workers. The foundation also has a confidential Interactive Screening Program that has been integrated into health care and other workplaces.

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