August 20, 2022

"I Keep Track of Everything!" Women Bearing the Mental Load

46 minutes

From shopping for school supplies to scheduling doctor's appointments, women carry a disproportionate amount of the mental task list, both in their roles in the workplace and at home. This can contribute to burnout, which is occurring in high numbers among health care workers, especially women physicians.

Join Dr. Jennifer Reid as she speaks with Harvard psychiatrists, Dr. Ash Nadkarni and Dr. Jhilam Biswas about their recent article on this topic.

We cover:
*What is cognitive load, and how does it differ from emotional load?
*What data supports the belief that women carry a far heavier cognitive load?
*What changes could improve this for women, especially in health care?

Dr. Ash Nadkarni is an Instructor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, the Assistant Medical Director of Brigham Psychiatric Specialties and Associate Vice Chair of Wellness in the Department of Psychiatry at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Dr. Nadkarni was featured as an expert commentator in the documentary film “The Observed Life,” and is regularly quoted in media outlets including the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and US News and World Report.

Dr. Jhilam Biswas is a board-certified Adult and Forensic Psychiatrist and is the Director of the Psychiatry, Law, and Society Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Co-Director of the Harvard Mass General Brigham Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship. She has been a featured commentator in the Boston Globe, ProPublica, and CBS This Morning.

Jennifer Reid, MD on Instagram: @TheReflectiveDoc

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Also check out Dr. Reid's regular contributions to Psychology Today: Think Like a Shrink

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National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

SAMHSA's National Helpline - 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
Dial 988 for Mental Health Emergency

Thank you to Brendan Callahan for the original music featured on the podcast.

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