DEPRESSION, DOCTORS AND DOGS:
DEFINING A PROBLEM, ITS VICTIMS, AND A SOLUTION
Suzanne McGee, MD
One of the best medicines for alleviating stress, bad moods, depression, and somatic symptoms often comes in the form of dogs and cats. I think work would be way more fun if I could work along with well-behaved animals who are available for belly scratches( for the animal, that is), kisses, and companionship. The thought of Drew, my happy-go-lucky-goof-of-a-dog, wandering the hospital and socializing with patients, visitors, doctors, nurses, and other health care personnel is a pretty funny image. The mere thought of it makes me smile and lightens my mood. A former co-worker( who shall remain nameless, location-less, and gender-less) once snuck his / her dog in to a physician work room at the end of a particularly chaotic day. This fluffy, wide-eyed dog melted everyone’ s stress away and her presence truly was good for our souls. The University of Pennsylvania Health System had an innovative idea when they expanded their patient-focused animal therapy program to include animal therapy for health care workers. In this program, adorably entitled“ Pet the Pooch,” adoptable animals visit stressed-out healthcare workers. When the animals visited, stress levels plummeted and morale soared among health care workers who participated in the program. As an added benefit, those lovable animals had a higher chance of being adopted to loving forever homes.
This“ Pet the Pooch” program had a powerful impact on health care workers’ mental health. Other health systems would be wise to recognize that physician mental health is an important issue, and implement measures to assist in improving physician morale. Ever-increasing stress and inattention to physician wellness comes at the cost of a higher risk of depression and suicide among physicians: diseases that present a danger to physicians and their patients.
Depression is like many other diseases in that if it is caught early and treated, morbidity and mortality can be significantly mitigated. However, untreated depression can lead to significant morbidity in the person suffering. Its end-stage, suicide, is much more preventable if the depression is recognized and treated in its early stages. Sadly, depressed physicians are at a higher risk( twice as likely as the general population) of successfully committing suicide because they have the knowledge and means to complete the act. And we are really good at hiding psychological suffering.
Data and literature on depression and suicide in physicians is scarce. Several sources estimate that the United States alone loses approximately 400 physicians per year to suicide. I believe that is a
12 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE