Mental Health Problems Among Young Doctors: an Updated Review of Prospective Studies

Reviewed prospective studies published over the past 20 years to investigate the prevalence & predictors of mental health problems in doctors during their 1st postgraduate years. Most studies showed that symptoms of mental health problems, particularly of depression, were highest during the first postgraduate year. They found that individual factors, such as family background, personality traits (neuroticism & self-criticism), & coping by wishful thinking, as well as contextual factors including perceived medical-school stress, perceived overwork, emotional pressure, working in an intensive-care setting, & stress outside of work, were often predictive of mental health problems. (68 refs)