Lorna Breen, Physician depression and job options

[RealHLA11]

‘I Couldn’t Do Anything’: The Virus and an E.R. Doctor’s Suicide (Published 2020)

Dr. Lorna Breen was unflappable — until she faced a new enemy.

www.nytimes.com

After Dr. Lorna Breen Died By Suicide in April, Her Family Took Up a Cause They Never Wanted - ACEP Now

ACEP Now offers real-time clinical news, news from the American College of Emergency Physicians, and news on practice trends and health care reform for the emergency medicine physician. ACEP Now is an official publication of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

www.acepnow.com

I posted the link to the article that struck me and my colleagues (internal medicine) last year and now recently and as doctors/humans, what are our options if we face what she is facing? What job options did she or do we have if we lose our license due to mental heath reasons beyond our control (after all that training, certifications, successful licensing, work experience, and now facing mountainous debt with the possibility of becoming unemployable)? What can we do to make a difference?

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[chessknt]

‘I Couldn’t Do Anything’: The Virus and an E.R. Doctor’s Suicide (Published 2020)

Dr. Lorna Breen was unflappable — until she faced a new enemy.

www.nytimes.com

After Dr. Lorna Breen Died By Suicide in April, Her Family Took Up a Cause They Never Wanted - ACEP Now

ACEP Now offers real-time clinical news, news from the American College of Emergency Physicians, and news on practice trends and health care reform for the emergency medicine physician. ACEP Now is an official publication of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

www.acepnow.com

I posted the link to the article that struck me and my colleagues (internal medicine) last year and now recently and as doctors/humans, what are our options if we face what she is facing? What job options did she or do we have if we lose our license due to mental heath reasons beyond our control (after all that training, certifications, successful licensing, work experience, and now facing mountainous debt with the possibility of becoming unemployable)? What can we do to make a difference?

Metlife used to have disability insurance that covered mental health, I am not sure if any other do? @MD Financial Services Scott

There really is nothing you can do--if you suddenly become unfit for a certain line of work you need to find a new one. This issue with medicine is the enormous opportunity cost and loans involved which disability insurance can at least partially offset.

 

[MD Financial Services Scott]

Metlife used to have disability insurance that covered mental health, I am not sure if any other do? @MD Financial Services Scott

There really is nothing you can do--if you suddenly become unfit for a certain line of work you need to find a new one. This issue with medicine is the enormous opportunity cost and loans involved which disability insurance can at least partially offset.

A number of carriers, and more coming, have M/N benefits to age 65 now for the vast majority of specialties, just check with a good disability insurance broker.

 

[RealHLA11]

A number of carriers, and more coming, have M/N benefits to age 65 now for the vast majority of specialties, just check with a good disability insurance broker.

Thank you. Do you know which companies?

 

[MD Financial Services Scott]

Thank you. Do you know which companies?

It depends on your specialty and state.

 

[turkeyjerky]

I think it's unfortunate that all of this has been targeted at increasing awareness of physician suicide and the usual burnout b.s. It's hard to say how much concern about her future ability to practice contributed to her suicide, however it's clear that hopelessness is a central element in suicidiality and it's hard to believe that loss (or concern thereof) of one's career wouldn't feed into this. (It hasn't been mentioned in the more recent articles about her or the related legislation, but some articles indicated that she was highly concerned about the long-term career implications of her breakdown. She wouold've been catastrophizing, but it may have have been accurate in this case).

Medscape had an article about a physician dealing w/ long-term job difficulties due to a history of bipolar disorder. They quoted a psychiatrist who gave the advice to, if dealing with a mental health crisis, "go out of state, use a fake name and pay cash". I think that's pretty apt.

 

[RealHLA11]

I think it's unfortunate that all of this has been targeted at increasing awareness of physician suicide and the usual burnout b.s. It's hard to say how much concern about her future ability to practice contributed to her suicide, however it's clear that hopelessness is a central element in suicidiality and it's hard to believe that loss (or concern thereof) of one's career wouldn't feed into this. (It hasn't been mentioned in the more recent articles about her or the related legislation, but some articles indicated that she was highly concerned about the long-term career implications of her breakdown. She wouold've been catastrophizing, but it may have have been accurate in this case).

Medscape had an article about a physician dealing w/ long-term job difficulties due to a history of bipolar disorder. They quoted a psychiatrist who gave the advice to, if dealing with a mental health crisis, "go out of state, use a fake name and pay cash". I think that's pretty apt.

Here is the medscape article: An MD's Nightmare Began With Reporting Manic Episode to Board .