Viewpoint: Physicians recovering from mental health issues forced to wear 'scarlet letter'

One physician who has struggled with burnout and depression is speaking out about the stigma of mental illness among medical professionals.

Adam Hill, MD, a pediatric palliative care physician at a children's hospital in the Midwest, isn't afraid to discuss the mental health issues he's faced over the course of his career as a physician. He candidly reveals physician burnout left him feeling neglected and depressed.

"I have a history of depression and suicidal ideation and am a recovering alcoholic. Several years ago, I found myself sitting in a state park 45 minutes from my home, on a beautiful fall night under a canopy of ash trees, with a plan to never come home. For several months, I had been feeling abused, overworked, neglected and underappreciated. I felt I had lost my identity. I had slipped into a deep depression and relied on going home at night and having a handful of drinks just to fall asleep," Dr. Hill wrote in an op-ed for The New England Journal of Medicine.

But his story is one of survival. In 2016, he delivered a grand-rounds lecture to more than 200 people detailing his struggle with mental health — and was met with a standing ovation. He said he received hundreds of emails from people from all over the country sharing their own struggles and triumphs. The experience made him realize he wasn't alone and that he could represent physicians who were suffering in silence.

Dr. Hill said his journey to recovery has taught him numerous lessons, including the importance of self-care and vulnerability, professionalism and patient safety. However, he was troubled by the negative stigma which discourages medical professionals from seeking treatment for their mental health conditions.

"When mental health conditions come too close to us, we tend to look away — or to look with pity, exclusion or shame. … We may brand physicians who've had mental health conditions, while fostering environments that impede their ability to become and remain well," Dr. Hill wrote. "When, recently, I moved to a new state and disclosed my history of mental health treatment, the licensing board asked me to write a public letter discussing my treatment … We are [taught] to be ashamed not only of the condition, but of seeking treatment for it, which our culture views as a sign of weakness. This attitude is pervasive and detrimental —  it is killing our friends and colleagues."

Dr. Hill notes that instead of stigmatizing physicians, medical professionals must, instead, break down the barriers and help colleagues affected by such conditions get the help they deserve. Only through empathy and understanding can the medical community shift the cultural framework and the perception of mental illness toward one of acceptance and support, he said.

"Without question, my own successful recovery journey has made me a better physician," said Dr. Hill. "My newfound perspective, passion and perseverance have opened up levels of compassion and empathy that were not previously possible. I still wear a scarlet 'A' on my chest, but it doesn't stand for 'alcoholic,' 'addict,' or 'ashamed' — it stands for Adam. I wear it proudly and unapologetically."

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