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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Laura LindseyORCiD, Dr Adam RathboneORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.The prevalence of serious mental illness is higher in healthcare professionals than in the general population. Mental health issues are associated with more lost workdays than any other chronic condition within the NHS. For healthcare professionals, disclosure of mental health condition can lead to stigmatisation and devaluation as a professional. The aim of this study was to investigate the experiences of living with a mental health condition as a healthcare professional and access to support. The study used qualitative methods combining data from semi-structured interviews (n = 10) and textual data from Twitter threads (n = 51). Purposeful sampling was used to achieve maximum variation in terms of serious mental illness experience, health care professions, and location of work. Search criteria for identifying relevant twitter threads followed the same sampling criteria. The data was analysed using thematic analysis. Three themes were identified: importance of support and advice, need to tackle stigmatisation, and challenges to improve mental well-being. Emotional validation of living with a mental health condition as a health care professional was an important factor for feeling supported. Organisational mismanagement and negative attitudes about mental illnesses were considered as key reasons for persistent stigmatisation. Challenges included disparities in support between the professions, high expectations by self and others, and fearing to disclose suicidal thoughts and ideation. Organisational changes are needed to better support healthcare professionals living with serious mental health conditions. Barriers to seeking support could be addressed by providing better training and toolkits for managers and colleagues.
Author(s): Lindsey L, Barber M, Elawad A, Rathbone AP
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Cogent Psychology
Year: 2024
Volume: 11
Issue: 1
Online publication date: 30/06/2024
Acceptance date: 03/06/2024
Date deposited: 16/07/2024
ISSN (electronic): 2331-1908
Publisher: Cogent OA
URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2024.2364947
DOI: 10.1080/23311908.2024.2364947
Data Access Statement: Data was not available due to ethical restrictions for the interviews. For Twitter data, it is available on request from the authors.
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