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Professional Peer Support Program

Did you know?

• Fifty three percent of Australian General Practitioners have considered leaving general practice because of work stress
• Twenty percent of Australian Anaesthetists have high rates of emotional exhaustion
• Twelve point eight percent of Australian metropolitan GPs had severe psychiatric disturbance, indicative of clinical depression, anxiety or other psychiatric conditions
• Male medical practitioners may be twice as likely to suicide as other professional males in general, while some research suggests that female medical practitioners are four-six times more likely to suicide than other professional women.

The RACGP established the Professional Peer Support Program (PPSP) in 2004, in response to these concerning statistics.

The beyondblue /Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Medical workforce Initiative aimed to improve health and wellbeing through the development of a peer support network, and establishment of an e listing of medical practitioners willing to offer medical services to their peers and colleagues from other craft groups.

The RACGP is now asking members to tell us the things that you do to maintain professional and personal equilibrium over the course of your career. We are also interested in hearing from GPs who have had to reflect and revise their attitudes and approaches to work/life balance as a result of a particularly challenging experience.

If you are able to assist this process, please contact Pete Marshall on 03 8699 0559, or by email at peter.marshall@racgp.org.au. See the Healthy doctor initiaitives to find out more about what might be possible.

Key resources “The Conspiracy of Silence - emotional health among Medical Practitioners” is a literature review of fifty years of research on doctor’s emotional health. The Conspiracy of Silence (PDF 721KB) “Keeping the Doctor Alive - A Self-care Guidebook for Medical Practitioners” provides medical practitioners with important information and resources on strategies to promote self-care. The guidebook can be ordered from the Publications section of this website. “Creating a Culture of Care - Junior doctor well-being in hospital settings” is a review of the scientific literature to establish what normal working conditions are for junior doctors in Australia, and the effect of these conditions on their well-being. The Creating a Culture of Care - Junior doctor well-being in hospital settings (PDF 360KB) To download files on a PC: Right click the link and select 'Save Target As'. To download files on a Mac: Hold Ctrl, click the link and select 'Download link to disk'. Help with viewing files

Further Information:

Pete Marshall
Program Manager, Quality Care
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
College House
1 Palmerston Crescent
South Melbourne Vic 3205
Tel: 03 86990559
Fax: 03 86990400
Email: peter.marshall@racgp.org.au

Publication Date: 7 May 2008