This document discusses depression, particularly in doctors. It notes that depression can impair people of all ages and genders. Depression is very common in doctors and medical students, yet it is rarely treated within the medical community. Doctors have higher rates of depression, suicide, and prescription drug use than the general population. The document suggests this may be due to the stresses of medical careers and easier access to prescription drugs.

1. Depression

2.  Itcan impair individuals of all ages and gender,
social, occupational and personal functioning
 Most common in western cultures.
 sadness, shame, guilt, anxiety, helplessness,
and hopelessness, accompanied by symptoms
such as insomnia, loss of energy, enthusiasm,
poor self-image, changes in appetite, and for
some, thoughts of suicide

3.  Depression in doctors is very common.
 It very rarely is treated within doctors
 It causes many to use drugs
 It’s most common in med students
 and have a higher rate of suicide than the
general population

4.  twice as common in women as in men
 between 300 and 400 physicians take
their own lives
 General population ratio Is 4:1
 Among doctors ratio is the same

5.  Dr. Melissa Cervantes Baer-
 Why do you think doctors are more susceptible to
using prescription drugs?
 Well, for starters it’s much easier for a
doctor of any kind to get their hands on
prescription drugs or what have you than
the average person. That being said while
many doctors are under pressure or feeling
the anxiety and the depression that is
sometimes associated with the job it can
cause them to run straight to drugs since it
IS easier for them to be obtained.

6.  Dr. David Cervantes-
 Why do you think doctors are more susceptible to
using prescription drugs?
 Really what it all boils down to is, it’s much
easier for doctors to get a hold of any type
of drug.
 There is a lot of stresses that comes with the
job
 This causes many to try to find outlets and
drugs sadly happen to be one of the
common ones in the world of doctors.