Postgraduate medical journal
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Depression and suicide often affect young physicians coping with the demands of residency training. To support effective prevention programmes, we aim to assess depression, quality of life (QoL) and coping style of doctors prior to beginning residency training. ⋯ Although nearly all doctors reported moderate-to-high QoL, positive screening for depression was observed in 9.8% of doctors which is much higher than the prevalence in Thais (1.2%). Mental health promotion policies are essential to help residents effectively cope with the stress and demands of training.
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To assess the prevalence of depression among medical students in their clinical years (fourth, fifth, and sixth years) in a government university in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia, and its association with the students' sociodemographic characteristics, academic factors, perceived health problems and their perceived readiness to their future specialties. ⋯ The prevalence of depression was high among the medical students examined. Policy makers should establish screening programmes, provide counselling for students who need it and deliver early interventions in detected cases.
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There is a reduction in Foundation trainee applications to speciality training and this is attributed to an administrative job role, with subsequent fears of burnout. This pilot study presents the findings of a real-time self-reporting tool to map a group of Foundation doctors' elective activities. Self-reporting is efficient, low cost to run and allows for repeated measures and scalability. It aimed to example how a time-map could be used by departments to address any work imbalances and improve both well-being and future workforce planning. ⋯ This particular cohort performed a high proportion of indirect tasks. These have been associated with burnout. Time-mapping is a low-cost, acceptable and seemingly scalable way to elucidate a clearer understanding of the type of activities Foundation doctors may perform. This methodology could be used to modernise the traditional Foundation doctor job description.
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To identify the challenges to well-being experienced by general practice postgraduate trainees and to explore how the trainees respond to those challenges. ⋯ This research highlights the strategies that general practice trainees use in response to challenges, but also that the responsibility for maintaining well-being cannot be borne by individuals alone. This study identifies that supportive approaches by healthcare organisations and educators are vitally important to general practitioner trainees' well-being.
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The role of a foundation year 1 (FY1) doctor has evolved over the years. Many doctors report significant anxiety and stress during this period. In this Quality Improvement Project, we looked at the difficulties FY1s face in their working day and if these issues could be resolved by implementing some structural changes. ⋯ The implementation of structural changes improved the quality of FY1s working day and increased the efficiency of service delivered on the surgical ward.