Doctors commit suicide, burn out, take sick leave. Dramas denounced by Thierry Lemoine, president of the Nièvre Order of Physicians.
“Doctors take care of you, so take care of them,” says Thierry Lemoine, president of the Nièvre Order of Physicians.
The situation is worrying. Deaths by suicide among doctors “are 14% per 100,000 inhabitants when it is 5.5% for the general population” in France. “We are a little more than double. We know that there are also a lot of doctors who are burned out. 36% of practicing doctors have had suicidal thoughts at some point in their life and 14% during the last twelve months. With a greater predominance among women. »
No suicides recently in Nièvre
In Burgundy-Franche-Comté, “an intern committed suicide. Every time there are tragedies.” And Thierry Lemoine is not optimistic. “We know that the demographic situation will continue to deteriorate until 2030 and the pressure on doctors will increase. Burn-out, suicidal ideas, depressive syndromes will become more and more important.”
The “My prevention report” system clashes with the reality in Niverne and cannot be implemented
Certainly, in Nièvre, “fortunately, there have been no suicides recently to my knowledge” but the pressure is strong.
“The patient must be aware that a day is only 24 hours. They are becoming more and more aggressive. »
I was the victim of threats two weeks ago.
The president of the Order of Physicians will file a complaint.
In this kind of situation, “we don't all have the same ability to withstand the blows. Some colleagues who have experience are on sick leave because they are exhausted.”
And to remember that a general practitioner in Nièvre “works more than 60 hours per week”.
“We are just poor humans”
There are solutions to avoid these tragedies. “Anything that can help lighten the mental load of caregivers so that they can refocus on their core business by hiring medical and administrative assistants to relieve them.”
Thierry Lemoine tries to be inventive and proactive. In the meantime, he asks us to “don’t shoot the ambulance.” We are just poor humans like the others.”
Emmanuelle Delaigues
France
