IMA launches programme to address mental health challenges among docs

Pune: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has launched a programme to tackle the burden of burnouts and increasing mental health problem among medical students, residents and clinicians. This initiative has been aptly named as ‘Doctors 4 Doctors’ (D4D).

Dr Santanu Sen, National President of Indian Medical Association (IMA), said, “Through this initiative, we will focus on preventing burnouts, address mental health challenges and reduce incidents of suicides among residents and clinicians.”

“As an umbrella organisation and the largest association of doctors, IMA believes that doctors must care for all doctors, especially given the global picture of higher risk of depression and suicide among medical professionals,” said Dr Sen.

He added that globally, the risk is 2.5 times higher among medical students and doctors, with those in the age group of 24 to 37 years being the most vulnerable segment. “A study among clinicians in India has revealed that 45 per cent of the respondents scored high on emotional exhaustion with 87 per cent of the doctors scoring low on ‘personal accomplishments’. The specialities under highest stress and risk of burnout or suicide are emergency medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, psychiatry, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) doctors and anaesthetists,” said Dr Sen.

Dr Nilima Kadambi, Chairperson of IMA National Committee for Emotional Health and Wellbeing of Medical Students and Doctors in India, said, “Realising the seriousness of the situation, the IMA has launched the unique initiative D4D with an aim of tackling the rising rates of mental health challenges and suicides among medical students, residents and clinicians.

“The D4D will tackle physician burnouts and mental health at a system level through changes in policy and training. It will offer a sustainable support system to bring about emotional wellbeing, robust resilience and the coping capabilities among the medical students, residents and clinicians,” said Dr Kadambi.

IMA D4D Team has already organised the awareness and self-help workshops for medicos on emotional wellbeing and burnouts in Bengaluru, Pune, Delhi, Surat and Cochin. It will soon organise them in Mumbai and in other cities.