Doctors’ health: taking the lifecycle approach

The importance of the health of medical workforces is increasingly recognised, and poor health can compromise performance and adversely affect standards of care.1 As demands on doctors continue to increase, so too do their levels of stress related illness.2 3 To provide a forum for discussion of these matters, the BMA, Canadian Medical Association, and American Medical Association co-sponsor biennial international conferences on physician health. The 2014 conference will focus on transitions in the life of the doctor, considering their impact on the doctor’s professional and personal life (box).

Transitions are major stressors in most people’s lives.4 They can occur in many guises and are often accompanied by unease, enhanced vulnerability, and a degree of identity confusion. However, transitions may also be empowering and positive experiences, and a time for growth. Rates of referral to services for doctors are higher at …