Impact of hospital consultants' poor mental health on patient care.
In a survey of 1794 UK NHS hospital consultants 1308 (73%) responded. Psychiatric morbidity (General Health Questionnaire-12 score > or =4) was present in 32% of responders, who were twice as likely to report drinking hazardous levels of alcohol, being irritable with patients and colleagues, reducing their standards of care and intending to retire early (all P < 0.001). Male and mid-aged consultants were also particularly at risk. Approaches that support consultants to practice medicine safely throughout their careers are required.
Taylor
Cath
C
Cancer Research UK London Psychosocial Group, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, St Thomas' Campus, London SE1 7EH, UK. cath.taylor@kcl.ac.uk
Graham
Jill
J
Potts
Henry
H
Candy
Jenny
J
Richards
Michael
M
Ramirez
Amanda
A
D000328:Adult; D003253:Consultants; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001523:Mental Disorders; D008875:Middle Aged; D010815:Physician Impairment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012179:Retirement; D006113:United Kingdom