Utah People's Post

The Latest News from the Beehive State

Saturday, June 25, 2022
Log in
  • National News
    • Female Caseworker Killed & Doctor Shot in Philadelphia
  • State News
    • Car Chase Leads to Drug Arrest
  • Tech & Science
  • Health
    • How to Prepare For Ticks Season
    • Magical Weight Loss Bean Scam
  • Sports
  • Business
You are here: Home / Health / High Rates of Depression Among Young Training Physicians

High Rates of Depression Among Young Training Physicians

December 9, 2015 Posted by Gabrielle Stewart

alt="Medical Interns and Depression"

A new review has found worrying statistics about the rates of depression among young training physicians. According to a comprehensive review published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), roughly 30 percent of them have depression or exhibit symptoms.

Residents – the freshly minted MDs, those entering the notoriously intense intern year followed by many years in graduate medical education – often have a hard time dealing with the pressure, more often than the general population.

There isn’t just one cause for this unfortunate situation, as the reasons are complex. The incredibly long hours, the constant sleep deprivation, the pressure of medical care, and the difficult training on the job represent only one side of the story.

On the other hand, there’s the often situation where attending physicians transform into bullies, and the fact that mental illness is still under a cloud of stigmatization. According to previous medical literature, untreated mental health problems among young doctors are linked to worse patient care and more medical errors.

Study author Dr. Douglas Mata, a resident physician in pathology at Brigham & Women’s Hospital and clinical fellow at Harvard Medical School, has led a team to analyze all the studies ever published on the subject of residents and depression. There were 54 studies written between 1963 and 2015, covering more than 17,000 residents.

Most of the studies relied on self-evaluation and the criteria varied widely; the estimates of depression prevalence had also seen different results, from 20 percent to 43 percent. However, Mata’s analysis indicates that 29 percent of residents suffer from depression, a number that’s bound to increase over time.

As Mata describes the situation, the current medical environment makes it almost impossible for the young training physicians to not develop depressive symptoms. “It’s almost a universal experience,” says Mata, as he also struggled with depression during his medical internship.

The biggest shock comes from the fact that being an intern is a whole different world from medical school. “You never leave the hospital. You’re the guy who never makes it to the wedding—you can’t even make it to the grocery store,” explained the author.

One of the issues comes from the fact that young doctors must cope with training in a much more complex world than that of older doctors—a medical system that requires dealing with a more intense pace and complicated ethical dilemmas. However, residency training hasn’t changed much.

In light of the new numbers, what’s needed is a healthier environment for medical training, one that would equip residents with a program that helps them process the traumatic events they witness.
Image Source: Adventures In Medicine

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Filed Under: Health

mm

About Gabrielle Stewart

Gabrielle Stewart graduated from Case Western Reserve University’s School of Graduate Studies with a Masters of Arts in Communication Sciences. She’s an avid reader and a lifelong learner. She likes to cover a wide range of news, but she’s particularly keen on Science.

Woman working out at the gym

Just 23% of Americans Are Working Out Enough in Their Spare Time

June 29, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Poliovirus Therapy Gives Brain Cancer Patients New Hope (Study)

June 29, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

United Airlines airplane

Passenger Mysteriously Dies on United Airlines flight Bound for Boston

June 28, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Breakfast sandwich

Here Are Some Foods No Nutritionist Would Ever Eat

June 27, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Poppy flower

UN Warns of Surge in Opium-based Drugs and Cocaine Supply

June 27, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

U.S.-Canada border

French Jogger Detained 2 Weeks for Accidentally Crossing Border

June 26, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Plus size model

Normalizing Plus Size Could Fuel Obesity Crisis (Study)

June 25, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Giant manta ray

Unique Manta Ray Nursery Spotted off Texas Coast

June 23, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

The rainbow flag

WHO Scraps Transgenderism from List of Mental Illnesses

June 22, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

456 People Dead at U.K. Hospital after Taking too Many Painkillers

June 21, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Kenyan girls dancing

Kenyans Facing Poor Nutrition as Supermarket Shopping Is on the Rise

June 20, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Pages

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy GDPR
  • Staff
  • Terms and Conditions

Recent Posts

  • Just 23% of Americans Are Working Out Enough in Their Spare Time
  • Poliovirus Therapy Gives Brain Cancer Patients New Hope (Study)
  • Passenger Mysteriously Dies on United Airlines flight Bound for Boston
  • Here Are Some Foods No Nutritionist Would Ever Eat
  • UN Warns of Surge in Opium-based Drugs and Cocaine Supply
  • French Jogger Detained 2 Weeks for Accidentally Crossing Border
  • Normalizing Plus Size Could Fuel Obesity Crisis (Study)

Related Articles

  • Woman working out at the gym

    Just 23% of Americans Are Working Out Enough in Their Spare Time

    Jun 29, 2018
  • Poliovirus Therapy Gives Brain Cancer Patients New Hope (Study)

    Jun 29, 2018
  • Breakfast sandwich

    Here Are Some Foods No Nutritionist Would Ever Eat

    Jun 27, 2018
  • Normalizing Plus Size Could Fuel Obesity Crisis (Study)

    Jun 25, 2018
  • The rainbow flag

    WHO Scraps Transgenderism from List of Mental Illnesses

    Jun 22, 2018
  • 456 People Dead at U.K. Hospital after Taking too Many Painkillers

    Jun 21, 2018
  • Young woman affected by depression

    If You Have PTSD You Were Likely Abused as a Child

    Jun 19, 2018
  • Obese dog on a leash

    Obese Dogs Can Help Us Better Understand How Obesity Works

    Jun 18, 2018
  • Our Brains Are Craving Combinations of Fats and Carbs (Study)

    Jun 15, 2018
  • Hungry bird with beck open

    Scientists Explain Why We Get ‘Hangry’

    Jun 13, 2018

Categories

  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • National News
  • Nature
  • Provo
  • Salt Lake News
  • Science
  • Sports
  • State News
  • Tech & Science
  • Technology
  • Uncategorized
  • West Jordan
  • West Valley City
  • World

Copyright © 2022 utahpeoplespost.com

About · Privacy Policy · Terms of Use · Site Map · Contact