#14 - Physician Suicide: a Family Perspective, Part 2, with Michelle Chestovich

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If you’re a physician or med student  in need of help, please call the 

Physician Support Line: 1 [phone], or visit: https://www.physiciansupportline.com/

 

Bio/Show Notes:

Michelle Chestovich, MD is a family physician, certified life coach and mom of four.  Her passion for physician wellness has recently been amplified by the unexpected death by suicide of her younger sister, Dr Gretchen Butler in March 2021.  She is using her voice to raise awareness about the high risk of suicide in medicine, in particular for women. She loves encouraging organizations to find more effective solutions to burnout in medicine.  And while the culture of medicine must indeed change, she loves empowering physicians to take care of their needs and mental health through coaching. You can catch her on her weekly podcast , Re-Mind Yourself, where she shares tips for physician moms who are trying to find more balance in their lives; She loves helping other physician moms realize that life doesn’t need to be so hard and that they can enjoy this life they have worked so hard to create.

 

This show is dedicated to Michelle’s younger sister, the formidable Dr. Gretchen Butler, described here in an excerpt from her obituary: 

“Her strong work ethic, openness to other perspectives and eye for detail made Gretchen an excellent radiologist and entertainer extraordinaire. The only thing better tan having Gretchen attend your party was having her plan it! She made everything she did more beautiful and more fun with her infectious laugh and kind heart. Gretchen was a doting daughter, loving wife, skilled physician, elegant hostess and generous friend. While she had many accomplishments and excelled at these roles, nothing made her more proud or brought her more joy than her three children : Hudson, Harriet and Oliver. The void left in the lives of those who loved her is beyond words.” 

 

The suicide rate among male physicians is 1.41 times higher than the general male population. And among female physicians, the relative risk is even more pronounced — 2.27 times greater than the general female population.

 

5 HIGH ACHIEVER TRAITS THAT PROVOKE ANXIETY:

HAVE A HARD TIME SAYING NO, 

HARD TIME ASKING FOR HELP, 

COMPARE OURSELVES TO SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE, 

LOOK SO FAR AHEAD WE’RE NOT PRESENT IN THE MOMENT,

RELY ON ACHIEVEMENT to FEEL WORTHY. 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/anxiety-in-high-achievers/202011/5-anxiety-provoking-habits-among-high-achievers

Physicians are stuck in a Catch-22: 

the high self-expectations, intense professional pressure, and prevailing culture of the medical profession contribute to the rise in mental health issues among physicians, but these factors also discourage struggling physicians from seeking help. The Medscape National Physician Burnout & Depression Report 2018(www.medscape.com) showed that 

66% of male physicians and 58% of female physicians who reported burnout, depression, or both had never received professional help, were not currently seeking professional help, and did not plan to seek professional help.

 

Barriers to Seeking Help

Through her research at the University of Michigan Depression Center in Ann Arbor, Gold seeks to understand why physician mental health issues remain largely untreated(www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). “There’s definitely a stigma inside medicine around mental health,” she says. She has found that physicians as a group tend to hold themselves to high standards, so a mental health issue is often perceived as a weakness. “Physicians don’t want to appear as if they can’t do their job,” says Gold. “We tend to be great masqueraders.”

“Gretchen was a perfect example of what we need more of in medicine: We want people who are both driven and empathic, perfectionists who also care about helping colleagues learn and grow. Now we need to create a system to support this kind of doctor.”  

 - Dr. Michelle Chestovich

 

So what are some of the solutions?

Changes within healthcare culture

Work hour restrictions- not just for residents but also attendings

Standardized maternity leave policies  

Making Coaching standard of care 

If you’re a physician or med student  in need of help, please call the 

Physician Support Line: 1 [phone], or visit: https://www.physiciansupportline.com/