Gary is a well-respected GP, working in regional NSW. Over the past few years, his compassionate care of people with mental health conditions, has resulted in him attracting such patients. With nine out of every ten patients now having complex issues, Gary started to feel the impact on his own wellbeing. He started to feel drained, anxious and was not sleeping well.
When the lockdowns of COVID-19 occurred, the added isolation, lack of social interaction and physical outlets, all combined. Gary succumbed to burnout. In attempting to recover, he exhausted all his personal and annual leave. He was struggling to concentrate, and the depression and anxiety were heightening. Gary sought help from a local psychologist but when one of his patients suicided, Gary’s own mental health was hanging in the balance.
Gary was referred to a psychiatrist who recommended he take a full three months off work to recover. With mounting bills and the prospect of no income, Gary felt his only choice was to work through his worsening health crisis, against the medical advice. He was the primary income earner for his family and the prospect of no income for three months was to him, impossible. When Gary was at breaking point, one of his colleagues suggested he contact MBA. Within a few weeks, we helped Gary catch up on some unpaid bills and then offered to cover his family’s basic living expenses of rent, food and healthcare for his recovery period.
As he was so highly respected, his practice was keen to support him in any way as they realised his skills and competence. This enabled him to take the time off he needed and concentrate on getting well. Over the three-month period our social worker had regular contact with Gary and his family. This gave them the support they needed to make some life-changing decisions. He decided to reduce his clinical hours moving forward. With the help of our team, we provided some suggestions and linked Gary to opportunities and resources for non-clinical employment, so he could supplement his future income.
Three months on and Gary has returned part-time to his general practice. He also has gained some regular non-clinical medical employment. Gary is feeling happy and healthy again and back in balance. He enjoys his clinical time and feels he has something to give his patients. His practice is thrilled to have kept him as they value his skills, compassion and expertise in helping others with mental health conditions. “We are so incredibly grateful for all you have done for us already. It’s really allowed me to take the time off I needed so I could fully recover from being burnt-out, without the additional stress of wondering how I would pay the bills.”
With the help of donor funding, we can provide financial and social support to doctors and their families, like Gary, at a time they need it the most. We also support them by providing a confidential, safe space to assess choices and provide resources that can help them create a more joyful and secure future. The MBA has noticed an increasing trend of doctors reporting workplace stress that has been exasperated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Such cases now account for nearly 29% of our beneficiaries. Recent Australian research supports this showing that the pandemic’s impact on mental health has resulted in 30.9% of doctors experiencing high levels of distress and 15.1% experiencing very high levels of stress since the onset of COVID-19**.
* * The mental health of Australian medical practitioners during Covid-19 by Michelle Anne Adams, Matthew Brazel, Richard Thomson PubMed: https://doi.org/10.1177/10398562211010807
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