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90 percent of resident doctors, mainly juniors were found “stressed out” while 10 percent were‘overwhelmingly stressed’.
Chandigarh: In order to find out the ratio of stressed doctors and the reason for their plight, the psychiatry department at Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) conducted a study on ‘Perceived stress and barriers to seeking help among resident doctors’.
Alerting the hospital authorities about this worrying problem, the study revealed that a colossal 90 percent of resident doctors, mainly juniors are stressed out and 10 percent are ‘overwhelmingly stressed’.
The institute took the study initiative following the suicide of a 24-year-old doctor, Dr Krishnaprasath Ramasamy in February this year.
Read Also: PGIMER: PG Radiodiagnosis commits suicide, colleagues blame Stress
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When asked about what’s worrying the doctors, Dr Sandeep Grover, principal investigator of the said study, and a professor at the psychiatry department confirmed to Hindustan Times, “The study involves a majority of junior residents as they are under rigorous training, have a lot of academic pressure and clinical workload as well. This high-level stress is impacting their physical and mental health. Strangely, a majority of them feel there’s a stigma attached to asking for help.”
Furthermore, the doctors were asked if the stress has negatively impacted their mental and physical being, to which around 80 percent of resident doctors replied affirmatively that they have affected mentally whereas 75 percent claimed that the stress has affected their physical health.
The study has found that there are a number of diverse issues that trigger the medical practitioners during work, which included the following
- About 67 percent are affected by long working hours,
- 53 percent said yes to being affected by lack of recognition at work and no leave.
- Around 48 percent were stressed because they couldn’t avail leaves and also be blamed for mistakes they had not committed or for minor mistakes.
The report suggested that merely 60 doctors (13 percent) have sought psychiatric help with nearly 86 percent replying in the negative when asked if they have been counselled. Around 57 percent feel that there is a stigma attached to asking for help and 61 percent say they fear being labelled as weak. Shockingly, around 60% of the doctors were not even aware about the Crisis Helpline at the hospital ( Helpline Number- 7087008700).
The survey also revealed that around half of the doctors questioned relied on peers in times of stress while 21% stated they will go to the faculty members of their own departments.
The doctors have reportedly adopted the intake of cannabis, opioids, cigarettes and alcohol as a stress releaser.
Dr Grover expressed his concern over this upsetting issue and told HT, “We need to understand why this is happening and change certain things which are not good in our work culture.”
The survey had 442 respondents, including 76 percent junior residents and 24 percent senior residents.
Garima joined Medical Dialogues in the year 2017 and is currently working as a Senior Editor. She looks after all the Healthcare news pertaining to Medical Education issues, Medico-legal cases, MCI/DCI decisions, government policies as well as all the news and updates pertaining to Medical and Dental Colleges in India. She is a graduate from Delhi University. She can be contacted at editorial@medicaldialogues.in Contact no. 011-43720751
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I went ro see one of my colleagues in trauma centerin PGIMER, amazed to see how ortho residents work there,young, bright students, working like donkeys, probably without any recognition, not sure whether he had a proper meal or sleep, I felt bad for them.stress is inevitable, senior faculty members must look into this and pressurise government to increase number of residents also faculties should treat these young doctors with utmost care and empathy.
Who will not be stressed out if you are made to work 60 hours at a stretch…with no food/water/break sometimes….and even after working for so much the money provided in name of stipend is nothing but a joke (still central institutes are in a better position leave aside the state stipends)….
The problem is lack of seats. There are not enough doctors because there are not enough seats. No doubt doctors are so over worked . 1 resident is doing the work of atleast 4 people. And belive me I am not even counting the work of nurses and NOs . And inspite of so much hard work , you are not allowed to take leaves. What is the concept of station leave I dont understand. And after coming back from leave be ready for coup looks coz you are a lazy follow. You cant cry you cant leave you cant break . Become a life less robot and pg is done. Its high time govt should change laws. Otherwise this will only increase.
I joined paediatrics with different expectation but alas ended up depressed distressed and lost …all points mentioned above are so true and the most important sentences r being labelled as \”weak\” n \”hard work doesnt kill anyone\” n these the sentences that were all the time poured into my ears… But dream is a dream….. i went home leaving the seat but decided to return to fulfill it come what may..now still a paeds resident with extreme work pressure but with an additional stigma by seniors (most of them not all though) as \”the unreliable one\” bcz i had run away as per them…but the fact is leaving this seat n going home was the worst times for me (what had it got to do wd them only thy knw)…. i had earned this seat aftr a long long time and undervoing a lot of stress n facing n no of hurdles n to leave n go home made me the saddest and grief stricken person…. but no one understood …n when i sought help i m now stigmatised as the \”weak, sick n unreliable doc\” though i work the longest hrs …but guess what it doesnt affect me now for i didnt knw them before i joined here n now that i knw i m relieved i never knew such ppl…but again thr r a few who empathise n help me grow n i m thankful to them esp my staff….However all being said being doctors n into any emergency branch i understand what we go through n feel maybe if work hrs were fixed and resident no. increased we all wd have had a beautiful journey during this residency and not just work but rather enjoy working n reading wd have been totally stress free n mostly productive…anyway i hope ardently that thngs chnge for better….n we all recognise that docs do get doressed n we need to seek help for it…i did n now i m here as a paediatrician in the making….all the best to all n thnk to the dept of psychiatry PGIMER for recognising this issue…though death of a peer as a cue to embark on this journey is probably a little too late but better late thn never…so cheers to the team n hooe this research doesnot remain as a work in paper alone rather it brings a change in the entire system
It is primarily because the people who have harrassed you are not visionary. After they pass out they will be normal chamber going docs and no vision to do something exemplary. Your intelligence can also be a reason for envy. If they have wanted you to leave the seat and go back, they were wrong, you came back very strong from what it seems. That\’s enough.
Shocking and yet I know that we will not pay any heed.
We are the victims of idiotic and unscientific policies. Reminds me of a very famous saying while I was doing my PG. It is said that PG is \”Paaltu Gadhaa\” and true to this statement, all the seniors and faculty members treated and continue treating the PGs the same way.
Disgusting !