Figure 1: Box plot depicting grade of practice and GAD-2 score. with greater efforts needed to destigmatise mental health in the profession, thereby improving support for doctors.
It is increasingly important during the COVID-19 pandemic that departments send clear signals to their team members that their mental health matters and being open about it will lead to support and not discrimination. Although this is not by any means an easy or quick endeavour, certain departmental and individual factors can help to gradually change cultures.
Departmental initiates include raising awareness of the high prevalence of mental health conditions amongst Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the potential impact that these factors have on both doctor’s wellbeing and patient care. Training staff, in particular those in leadership roles, so that they feel confident having conversations about mental health can be key in shaping how doctors cope and recover through difficult times. Identifying accessible mental health champions and support pathways sends a clear message that support is available if colleagues are experiencing a mental health problem. Having visible and accessible leadership when managing complex patients with novel conditions may also help to reduce the mental health impact on doctors.
On an individual level, we can all challenge stigma and prejudice by being approachable and confident about mental health and taking steps to normalise conversations and encourage open dialogues.
Strengths of this study included survey respondents from a range of ages, ethnicities and clinical grades and was disseminated throughout the UK. It is also the first reported study that has assessed the impact of COVID-19 on Obstetrics and Gynaecology doctors.
Limitations of this study include that it was an online survey therefore may be prone to selection and response bias. Snowball sampling was used to help mitigate selection bias and recruit hard to reach subjects. The cross-sectional design, whilst demonstrating associations cannot demonstrate significant causal relationships.