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Half of Sermo doctors would accept mental health support

Two people are engaged in a conversation. One has clasped hands, and the other holds a clipboard and pen, offering mental health support while seated comfortably on a sofa with a pillow in the background.

In response to dire predictions for a deadly winter—with a significant rise in Coronavirus deaths expected—Sermo physicians discuss physician burnout and the support they would like to see. 

In a poll of 180 global Sermo physicians, 79% said it should be a high priority for the healthcare industry to address HCP burnout. And 48% acknowledged that they would take advantage of mental health support offered by their employer or an organization they’re members of (ie, a society or HCP community). 

When asked which resources they would like to see available for HCPs who suffer from burnout, here is how they answered:

Dedicated hotline
17%
Online community
22%
Advocacy group
32%
Online collection of resources to help better understand and manage burnout
29%

This is how Sermo physicians responded to what was most important to them:

Assurance that there will be no professional repercussions for receiving mental health services
34%
Commitment from hospitals/admin to combat burnout from a policy perspective
26%
Increasing time off/vacation days per year
29%
Access to peer support group
10%

Here’s more of what Sermo physicians have to say on this topic—in their own words…

A text post discusses the bureaucratic burdens on healthcare professionals, highlighting how paperwork interferes with patient care. It emphasizes the need for efforts to reduce these obstacles, allowing Sermo doctors to focus more on providing quality mental health support.
A stethoscope icon, date September 15, 2020, and text "Family Medicine / Practice (FP)." Below, the text discusses mental health support as an ever-increasingly important issue addressed by Sermo doctors.
Comment discussing concerns about pay and burnout in the dermatology field, dated September 17, 2020. Highlighting the importance of mental health support, Sermo doctors are increasingly voicing these challenges amid growing pressures.
A stethoscope icon beside a date underscores family medicine, emphasizing that mental health support is vital for healthcare personnel, including Sermo doctors.
The text, dated "September 17, 2020," highlights the importance of Psychiatry in ensuring that physicians can seek mental health support without facing negative repercussions.