It’s harder than it sounds: Prioritizing physician wellness

CPS President Dr. Johanne Harvey wants her paediatric colleagues to take better care of themselves. But she recognizes prioritizing wellness can be easier said than done.

“The idea of physician wellness is not new, but it has not been well addressed. The result is that people are suffering, isolated and ashamed when they experience stress, exhaustion and burnout,” she said.

Focusing on practitioner wellbeing is part of advocating for a healthier paediatric workforce—a current CPS strategic priority, and the focus of the President’s Lecture at this year’s annual conference.

The lecture will be presented by Ottawa psychologist Mélanie Joanisse, who has developed a wellness guide for frontline healthcare workers. Dr. Harvey hopes that attendees will leave the lecture with new ideas and a renewed desire to prioritize systems that protect mental health and offer people appropriate support when needed.

“Physicians may face real or perceived stigma for seeking help around mental health. We need to create a culture that normalizes mental health discussion and offers access to counselling, support and essential resources,” she said. “Sometimes when you’re feeling stressed out and less available, you isolate yourself, which can be harmful. Be sure not to do that and ask for help.”

Dr. Harvey encourages people to keep physician wellness on their radar beyond attending the President’s Lecture.

She points to provincial or territorial organizations, like the Québec Physicians’ Health Program (QPHP), that offer peer support, resources and education on physician health and wellbeing.

“A few years ago, the QPHP hosted a conference on wellness. It was offered to all physicians, pharmacists, and staff at the hospital—and it was packed. It was clear that people are interested in this topic,” she said.  

She also recommends looking for support, education or resources through your medical faculty and national organizations like the Canadian Medical Protective Association, Canadian Medical Association, and Royal College.

 “There’s movement on this issue, in paediatrics and medicine in general, which is an opportunity to learn more about protecting our health,” she said.

Using a multi-disciplinary team approach and working with administrators is another helpful strategy.

“Working among interdisciplinary teams can help to share the workload, reduce individual stress and lessen the administrative burden on physicians,” she said. 

Finally, Dr. Harvey recommends that paediatricians start seeing how taking care of themselves ensures they can provide better patient care.

“For example, if you are not alert, or you feel depressed, you could make mistakes, or your attitude could impact the relationship between physician and patient,” she said.

Dr. Harvey admits that prioritizing your own health as a physician is still hard, but thankfully it’s becoming less of a taboo topic. She recommends paediatricians simply follow their own advice on wellbeing to start focusing on themselves.

“Create work/life balance. Aim to reduce stress by using things like mindfulness. Make time for relationships and interests, prioritize diet and exercise and avoid substance use,” she said. “And most importantly, take time away—both for vacation and sick leave when needed. Allow time to recharge, and don’t hesitate to get mental health and peer support when needed.”

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