TY - JOUR
T1 - Barriers, facilitators, and survival strategies for GPs seeking treatment for distress
T2 - a qualitative study
AU - Spiers, Johanna
AU - Buszewicz, Marta
AU - Chew-Graham, Carolyn A
AU - Gerada, Clare
AU - Kessler, David
AU - Leggett, Nick
AU - Manning, Chris
AU - Taylor, Anna Kathryn
AU - Thornton, Gail
AU - Riley, Ruth
N1 - © British Journal of General Practice 2017.
PY - 2017/10
Y1 - 2017/10
N2 - BACKGROUND: GPs are under increasing pressure due to a lack of resources, a diminishing workforce, and rising patient demand. As a result, they may feel stressed, burnt out, anxious, or depressed.AIM: To establish what might help or hinder GPs experiencing mental distress as they consider seeking help for their symptoms, and to explore potential survival strategies.DESIGN AND SETTING: The authors recruited 47 GP participants via e-mails to doctors attending a specialist service, adverts to local medical committees (LMCs) nationally and in GP publications, social media, and snowballing. Participants self-identified as either currently living with mental distress, returning to work following treatment, off sick or retired early as a result of mental distress, or without experience of mental distress. Interviews were conducted face to face or over the telephone.METHOD: Transcripts were uploaded to NVivo 11 and analysed using thematic analysis.RESULTS: Barriers and facilitators were related to work, stigma, and symptoms. Specifically, GPs discussed feeling a need to attend work, the stigma surrounding mental ill health, and issues around time, confidentiality, and privacy. Participants also reported difficulties accessing good-quality treatment. GPs also talked about cutting down or varying work content, or asserting boundaries to protect themselves.CONCLUSION: Systemic changes, such as further information about specialist services designed to help GPs, are needed to support individual GPs and protect the profession from further damage.
AB - BACKGROUND: GPs are under increasing pressure due to a lack of resources, a diminishing workforce, and rising patient demand. As a result, they may feel stressed, burnt out, anxious, or depressed.AIM: To establish what might help or hinder GPs experiencing mental distress as they consider seeking help for their symptoms, and to explore potential survival strategies.DESIGN AND SETTING: The authors recruited 47 GP participants via e-mails to doctors attending a specialist service, adverts to local medical committees (LMCs) nationally and in GP publications, social media, and snowballing. Participants self-identified as either currently living with mental distress, returning to work following treatment, off sick or retired early as a result of mental distress, or without experience of mental distress. Interviews were conducted face to face or over the telephone.METHOD: Transcripts were uploaded to NVivo 11 and analysed using thematic analysis.RESULTS: Barriers and facilitators were related to work, stigma, and symptoms. Specifically, GPs discussed feeling a need to attend work, the stigma surrounding mental ill health, and issues around time, confidentiality, and privacy. Participants also reported difficulties accessing good-quality treatment. GPs also talked about cutting down or varying work content, or asserting boundaries to protect themselves.CONCLUSION: Systemic changes, such as further information about specialist services designed to help GPs, are needed to support individual GPs and protect the profession from further damage.
KW - mental health services
KW - selfcare
KW - anxiety
KW - burnout, professional
KW - depression
KW - general practice
U2 - 10.3399/bjgp17X692573
DO - 10.3399/bjgp17X692573
M3 - Article
C2 - 28893766
SN - 0960-1643
VL - 67
SP - e700-e708
JO - British Journal of General Practice
JF - British Journal of General Practice
IS - 663
ER -
