Are some medical specialties more prone to mental health issues?
Dr. Sadock: Doctors who deal with death and dying are the ones with the most stresses—oncologists, neurosurgeons, cancer surgeons, to name a few. Psychiatry is stressful not because of mortality rates, which are actually the lowest of any specialty, but because of the nature of our work. We’re dealing with people who are depressed, anxious, dependent, terrorized, despondent, and often desperate. We’re alone with the patient—no nurses coming by, no colleagues in the hall, confidentiality at all times. That’s why I advise young psychiatrists not to spend all day seeing patients in therapy. What made you choose such lonely work? Dr. Attwell: My family history consists of generations of talented and mentally ill loved ones. In my own family, I grew up in the wake of the violent death of a sister. We all benefited from mental health care, which made psychiatry appealing to me in a profoundly personal way. Dr. Sadock: In my case, the pain was not a personal one. As a medical student in the 1
