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Mental Health for Physicians

Attending physicians, residents, fellows, medical students. Real stats, specific resources, and guidance written for the particular culture of this profession — not generic advice.

The numbers
Physician suicide rate is 2× general population. ~40% report burnout. Male physicians: 1.4× higher suicide risk than female physicians.
~1M practicing US physicians

Why mental health looks different here

Licensure questions about mental health treatment create a powerful disincentive to seek care. Plus: being the one who's supposed to have the answers makes being vulnerable feel like incompetence.

Profession-specific resources

Built for your job. Not generic EAP. These know the culture.

Physician Support Line
1-888-409-0141. Volunteer psychiatrists. Free, confidential, not reportable.
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Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes' Foundation
Works to remove licensing barriers. Maintains a state-by-state list of which medical boards have safe language.
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Federation of State Medical Boards — mental health resources
Review your state's licensure question wording.
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AFSP Healthcare Professionals
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention tailored resources.
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Most common issues in doctors

Based on prevalence data for this profession. Each links to a specific resource on Typical Male.

Licensure / fitness-for-duty — what's real and what's myth

Licensure questions vary enormously by state. Many states have changed to only ask about CURRENT impairment (not past treatment). Check Dr. Lorna Breen Foundation's state-by-state review before assuming you need to disclose.

Free tool
Not sure what's going on?

The PHQ-9 + GAD-7 screeners your doctor uses. Private. Printable for your appointment. Tracks over time.

Take the PHQ-9 →