A few facts about doctors and depression

By Cynthia Pegram

Published: June 21, 2008

—Medical students have rates of depression 15 to 30 percent higher than the general population.

—Women physicians have a higher rate of major depression than age-matched women with doctorate degrees.

—Physicans use of mental health services also appears low. But there is virtually no information on pat-terns of seeking help.

—More is known about medical students. They have low rates of seeking help with only 22 percent of those who screened positive for depression using mental health services.

—Practicing physicians with psychiatric disorders often encounter overt or covert discrimination in medical licensing, hospital privileges, health insurance, and/or malpractice insurance.

Sources: The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the Consensus Statement from the American Medical Association, 2003.