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
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