Physician Depression, Burnout & Suicide - Consider Undermethylation

About this episode

This episode discusses the high rates of depression and suicide among physicians, exploring the role of undermethylation and the medical culture that contributes to these issues.

It can be easy to forget that medical professionals are vulnerable to stress, burnout, and even physical and mental health issues. Though we expect them to be well, physicians have a relatively high rate of depression. Physician suicide is twice the rate of the general population. I’ll argue that doctors have biochemical and environmental factors contributing to their strengths and vulnerabilities. Though I’ll focus on physicians in this newsletter, much of what I’ll discuss applies to other medical professionals and caregivers. In this newsletter, I’ll address: * The higher rates of depression and suicide in physicians * How undermethylation is likely a strong contributing factor * How early family dynamics may be at play * A medical culture that leaves physicians unsupported and reluctant to seek help * Solutions To learn more about the root causes of brain symptoms and the consultations that I offer, visit courtneysnydermd.com Disclaimer: This newsletter is for educational purposes and not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment for yourself or others, including but not limited to patients you are treating (if you are a…

People in this episode

Host: Courtney Snyder MD

Topics covered

• physician depression
• burnout
• suicide
• undermethylation
• medical culture
• mental health

Keywords

• physician mental health
• burnout
• undermethylation
• depression
• suicide rates
• medical professionals
• healthcare stress

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: courtneysnydermd.com, courtneysnydermd.substack.com

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