The Citizen reports that the South African Society of Psychiatrists has warned that burnout in the medical profession is becoming a pervasive risk factor for patients and doctors, especially in state hospitals.  

The society’s former president, Professor Bernard Janse van Rensburg, said the country’s overworked medical professionals were at great risk of burnout.  Some of the contributing factors included a heavy workload, long hours, isolation as a result of this, high expectations and professional pressure.  Yet, doctors were the least likely to call for help at the onset of burnout and other related health problems.  “Doctors and other medical professionals who are highly critical of others and tend to blame themselves for their own illnesses … are more at risk of major depression and other mental disorders that can lead to suicide,” said Van Rensburg.  He added that they also slipped into risky coping mechanisms, such as alcohol and drugs, and isolated themselves from those who could support them.  Globally, doctors are 2.5 times more likely to commit suicide than the general population, while physician burnout is a leading cause of medical error.

• Read the full original of Simnikiwe Hlatshaneni’s report on this story at The Citizen

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