Physician impairment: is it relevant to academic psychiatry?
OBJECTIVE
This article examines the relevance of physician impairment to the discipline of academic psychiatry.


METHODS
The author reviews the scientific literature, the proceedings of previous International Conferences on Physician Health, and held discussions with experts in the physician health movement, department chairs, program directors, and residents.


RESULTS
Psychiatric illness and impairment in physicians impact academic psychiatry in several ways. Mental illnesses in physicians are being studied by some researchers, but the subject requires more scholarly attention. Training directors are interested in resident well-being and illness and how to reach out to symptomatic residents in a more timely way. Leaders in psychiatry are eager to learn the first steps in identifying colleagues at risk and the route to assessment and care. They are especially concerned about disruptive behavior in the workplace, including harassment and boundary transgressions in doctor-patient and supervisor-supervisee relationships. Academic psychiatrists wish to be more responsive to nonpsychiatrists appealing to them for guidance with impaired members of their departments.


CONCLUSIONS
Physician impairment is an emerging field of study and interest to psychiatrists in academic settings.
Myers
Michael F
MF
Department of Psychiatry, St. Paul's Hospital, 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. myers@telus.net
D019958:Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010820:Physicians / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000193:education* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data