Thread by @voxdotcom

1/ After a suicide attempt in 2020, Dr. Justin Bullock was put through a dehumanizing, month-long assessment by his employer.

It's part of a larger problem of stigma around mental health in the medical field that needs to change:
bit.ly/3xIAeVe

2/ The evaluation, which included hair and blood tests and questions about Bullock’s childhood traumas made him “much less likely” to get help.

Despite his outstanding academic and clinical record, any “serious mistakes” could have cost him his license, he says.

3/ Nearly 40% of physicians are reluctant to get mental health care for fear of state medical boards revoking their license or restricting their ability to practice, one study shows.

Reforming how these boards function could encourage doctors to seek support, experts say.

4/ For doctors like Bullock, these “voluntary” evaluations can be a source of shame.

They may focus on sweeping psychiatric questions instead of job performance or feedback from patients — even for physicians with a glowing record.

5/ But some states are slowly shifting their policies around health evaluation by removing questions about a doctor’s mental health history, or only asking about current impairments.

Some say it’s one step toward eliminating this stigma for health professionals.

6/ The pandemic only intensified the burnout felt by health care workers. In some cases, the stress can cost lives.

To learn more about how the US health system failed its doctors during Covid-19, read the first part of Vox’s series The Aftermath. bit.ly/3xIAeVe

7/ If you or anyone you know is considering self-harm, or is anxious, depressed, or needs to talk, there are people who want to help:

In the US: Text CRISIS to 741741 for free crisis counseling.
Outside the US: @IASPinfo lists suicide helplines by country:iasp.info/resources/Cris…