COVID-19 has worsened the tension, putting physicians' well-being and mental health in jeopardy. Just like any individual, medical practitioners feel the pressure, stress, and fear because they’re also human beings.

Isolation, the added stress of working long hours as front liners, the pressure, lack of support, and not having enough time to seek help or therapy all lead to depression and burnout. As physicians, we are under pressure from all kinds of sources from expectations of patients, organizations where we work, from our managers, our loved ones, and even from ourselves. 

In today’s episode, we will be joined by three amazing guests: Dr. Rebecca Smith-Coggins, Dr. Barr Taylor, and Dr. Mira Zein, and discussed a hugely important topic in this generation. We’ll be tackling pressure, burnout, depersonalization, the importance and effects of lack of sleep, campaign for self-compassion, and de-stigmatizing mental health in general.

As medical students and doctors, we always believe that there’s no room for failure but we should also think about our physical and mental well-being to be able to take care of our patients as well. Reflect on this episode and together let’s create a supportive environment to stop the stigma on mental health.

Memorable Quotes:

• US physicians have one of the highest rates of suicide of any profession. It is estimated that 300 to 400 doctors kill themselves each year. -Dr. Julieta Gabiola
• Physicians are trained to feel a little bit invulnerable and sleep is seen as a usable commodity. - Dr. Barr Taylor
• Stress will cause sleep dysregulation, which will then lead to more stress. Dr. Mira Zein
• Burnout is a triad of symptoms. It's emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, distancing yourself from things, and a sense of low personal accomplishment. - Dr. Rebecca Smith-Coggins
• Depersonalization is the replacement of empathy with cynicism and the result is emotional numbness. You get numb to what the patient is experiencing. -Dr. Julieta Gabiola 
• There are higher rates of burnout for nurses compared to other healthcare workers in particular because they're oftentimes at the first line in COVID wards. - Dr. Mira Zein
• A person looking after themselves is a sign of health, not stigma. - Dr. Barr Taylor
• Fear contributes to the stigma in seeking help.  -Dr. Julieta Gabiola 
• Suicide can be very impulsive. It can be done in the context of an acute stressor that happens when someone doesn't have the coping skills to deal with it. - Dr. Mira Zein
• The meditation of love and kindness is very strong for self-compassion. - Dr. Rebecca Smith-Coggins
• Acceptance and commitment therapy is accepting without judgment where you are at this time because this is just where you are and it doesn't have to be permanent.  -Dr. Mira Zein

About the Guests:

Dr. Rebecca Smith-Coggins is Professor of Emergency Medicine and Associate Dean for Medical Student Advising at Stanford University.  She started the Office of Medical Student Wellness in 2013 at Stanford as well as the Stanford Emergency Medicine Residency program in 1990.  Her research focuses on physician/med student wellbeing and has done several studies looking at the power of naps on night shifts.

Dr. Barr Taylor is a Professor of Psychiatry, Emeritus, at Stanford Medical Center, and Research Professor and Director of the Center for m2Health at Palo Alto University.  He was an adult psychiatry training director in the Stanford Department of Psychiatry for many years and recently has been developing and evaluating digital mental health approaches to populations.

Dr. Mira Zein is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford University.  She specializes as a consult-liaison psychiatrist, working in the Emergency department, medical and surgical floors in the hospital, as well as in primary care, where she has been developing an Integrated Behavioral Health model to provide improved access to mental health care.  She also leads the e-consult program for the Department of Psychiatry. 

About the Host:

Dr. Jette is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at Stanford University and the President & CEO of ABCs for Global Health. Click here for her full profile or read her full interview here.

About ABC's for Global Health:

ABCs for Global Health is a non-profit organization dedicated to finding practical​ solutions to health problems of disadvantaged and underserved communities. Their programs include telemedicine, research on nutrition and healthcare, and disaster response.

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