Doctors Israel Berger, Vidya Narayan, and Kieran Allen discuss their lived experience of mental illness and how mental illness affects doctors. They address the issues of suicidality amongst healthcare workers, particularly psychiatrists and SIMGs, how to seek help, regulatory concerns, managing confidentiality, and inpatient admissions. They speak about their own experiences of mental illness and seeking support in addition to general issues.
Dr Israel Berger is a final year Child & Adolescent Psychiatry trainee at Goulburn Valley Health. He holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of Roehampton, which examined silence in the psychotherapy context. He is passionate about research and clinical practice, particularly trauma, therapeutic relationships, transgender health, and early intervention in psychosis
Dr Kieran Allen is a stage 2 trainee at Monash Health. He has a keen interest in the mental health of health professionals and was a founding member of Hand-n-Hand Peer Support. Kieran has battled with his own mental illness and spoken about it publicly from time to time as a way to challenge the stigma faced by many doctors faced with their own mental illness.
Dr Vidya Narayan graduated to FRANZCP in 2023. She works part-time as a consultant psychiatrist with Goulburn Valley Health, Shepparton. She is originally a Specialist International medical graduate (SIMG), with her two post-graduate qualifications in psychiatry from India. Further, she has training and work experience with three different services spread across metropolitan and regional Victoria, since migrating to Australia in 2014. Vidya is passionate about psychiatry and is particularly interested in the area of prevention, more specifically addressing special populations (women, children and older adults)
Resources
https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2016/205/6/suicide-health-professionals-retrospective-mortality-study-australia-2001-2012
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Disclaimer:
This podcast is provided to you for information purposes only and to provide a broad public understanding of various mental health topics. The podcast may represent the views of the author and not necessarily the views of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists ('RANZCP'). The podcast is not to be relied upon as medical advice, or as a substitute for medical advice, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship and should not be a substitute for individual clinical judgement. By accessing The RANZCP's podcasts you also agree to the full terms and conditions of the RANZCP's Website. Expert mental health information and finding a psychiatrist in Australia or New Zealand is available on the RANZCP’s Your Health In Mind Website.