Career Focus
Briefing
BMJ 1998; 317 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.317.7172.3b (Published 05 December 1998) Cite this as: BMJ 1998;317:S3b-7172
Unhappy marriages and divorce among doctors are common, and are commonly attributed to stress and long working hours. Well, only partly. An article in Australian Family Physician (1998;27:999-1004) by a psychoanalyst with a particular interest in the area claims three common patterns of problem marriage: obsessional, narcissistic, and shared care. The evidence base comprises stories rather than numbers; nevertheless it is convincing reading. Doctors should spend more time tending marriage, family and friendships.