1 in 10 doctors ‘had thoughts of self-harm’ during COVID-19 pandemic
Professor Marie Bismark says it is especially concerning that more than half of them did not seek professional help
One in 10 doctors had thoughts of suicide or self-harm during the second wave of COVID-19 outbreaks in Australia, a large study has found.
Nearly 2500 doctors and 6000 other healthcare workers completed an online survey between 27 August and 23 October 2020 as cases started to surge for a second time in NSW and Victoria.
In total, 10.5% of respondents said they had contemplated self-harm during the previous 14 days, although the rate reached 13% among doctors.
Led by Professor Marie Bismark of the University of Melbourne’s centre for health policy, the study found that 53% did not seek professional help.
