Doctors fall prey to stress and need sustained psychotherapy: Psychiatrists
The Statesman | 15 August 2024
Though doctors are treated gods but many a time these doctors suffer psychological breakdown, which leads to suicidal attempts. This may at times result in killing their colleagues, subordinates inside the hospital duty rooms either out of personal or professional vendetta or just out of petty disputes, the crime records registered across India revealed.
“Physicians serving in any order are prone to distress and need counselling,” suggests Dr Gautam Saha, who recently stepped down from the post of SAARC Psychiatrist’s Federation, last year. Dr Saha, in the wake of the recent R G Kar Hospital incident said, “The physicians need more intensified security cover at the workplace to overcome panic, anxiety, frustration, besides concentration on their job that mostly deals with human life.”
The medical students, according to the experts, fall victim to sustained anxiety, frustration and stress. As revealed by the National Medical Council in February, at least, 122 medical students (64 in MBBS, 58 in PG) committed suicide and 1,270 dropped out (153 MBBS, 1,117 PGT) in last five years in India. The president, Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association, Dr Arvind Mathur, analyzed, “The NMC statistics unearth some complex issues extended beyond academic pressure alone, like frustration due to exaggerated duty hours, hostile work environment created by some toxic seniors and dearth of resting time.”