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Research on Doctors' Health and Wellbeing

In recent years the research around doctors' and medical students' health and wellbeing has been slowly growing. This page will provide links to research that has been conducted across the world and in Australia. The evidence is growing that we must invest more into ensuring our doctors own health and wellbeing is a priority that ultimately ensures quality patient care and positive health outcomes.

AUSTRALIA

  • "Australia needs to implement a national doctors' health strategy" paper co-authored by Chanaka Wijeratne, Dr Margaret P Kay, Mark H Arnold and Jeffrey CL Looi, published in the Medical Journal of Australia in October 2022 - link to article here.
  • "Staying psychologically safe as a doctor during the COVID-19 pandemic" paper co-authored by Dr Jill Benson, Dr Roger Sexton (Doctors' Health SA), et al. Published in BMJ 'Family Medicine & Community Health' 2022 - link to article here.
  • MABEL Survey - Medicine in Australia: Balancing Employment and Life Australia's national longitudinal survey of doctors - latest report here and you can participate by visiting their website here.
  • Winston Churchill Memorial Trust of Australia - Dr Caitlin Weston final report - "Burning out - International Approaches to Clinician Wellbeing" - 2018 - view report here.
  • The Australian Journal of Rural Health - "Effectiveness of cognitive behavioural coaching in improving the well-being and retention of rural general practitioners" article here.
  • Rural Doctors Workforce Agency - Maria Gardiner and Hugh Kearns Retaining rural doctors - An evaluation report on Country Practice Retreats (2002-2006) view here.
  • RACGP - Doctors' Mental Health - 'Workplace Scars' - this article is an accumulation of doctors' health advocates sharing information about what the barriers are to seeking support, as well the positive outcomes it has when doctors do - view article here.

THE WORLD

  • The BMJ has published a range of articles on themes which relate to clinician wellbeing. Find them all here.
  • The New England Journal of Medicine - To Care Is Human — Collectively Confronting the Clinician-Burnout Crisis - 2018 - view here.