From the recent Psychiatric Update (19th May 2011) an article by Michael East titled:
Doctor takes his life after mandatory reporting ...
A doctor took his own life after a treating psychiatrist reported him to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency in line with new mandatory reporting laws, a Senate inquiry has been told. MDA National president Associate Professor Julian Rait told the inquiry investigating AHPRA’s handling of the national registration scheme that mandatory reporting
laws had become an “anathema” to a co-operative and self-reporting culture of healthcare.
Professor Rait said the laws could have been a factor in the doctor taking his own life.
“There is an example that we are aware of where there was a practitioner who was under psychiatric care who was thought by the psychiatrist to pose a risk and was reported to AHPRA,” Professor Rait said.
“As a result of that report, the therapeutic relationship between the psychiatrist and this particular doctor broke down and as a consequence we believe that that practitioner took his own life.”
The mandatory reporting laws, which came into effect from 1 July 2010, require all registered health professionals to report colleagues whose conduct might put patients at risk of substantial harm — even if they are the treating doctor. It is understood members of the inquiry have growing concerns about the impact mandatory reporting is having on doctors’ health.
Now I am not going to comment much on this other than to say I blogged last year about Compassion Fatigue and the Australian Beyond the Blue study and mentioned some of the concerns I still have then.
http://mum-alex.blogspot.com/2010/11/compassion-fatigue.html
At the time I didn’t realise Australia had introduced a national registration scheme that made mandatory reporting of doctors who are 'perceived' to be a danger. I have to say, at first all I could think of with this case was that clearly the shame and stigma attached to mental illness was too much for this doctor to live with. This in keeping with the Beyond the Blue study findings of Psychiatrists having the highest rate of suicide and it poses the same questions I asked in my previous blog. I don't even know if this is the reason he was reported but that was the first thing that came to mind when you are seeing a Psychiatrist.
However, this has also made me think about how do they define "conduct that might put patients at risk of substantial harm”? Does that include the many doctors with addiction issues? Does it include those with heart conditions who are surgeons? Or does it just refer to, as I suspect..... those with mental illness? It seems no matter how hard we try to fight against the stigma around mental illness the medical profession still live in the dark ages. Even those working in Psychiatry who SHOULD KNOW BETTER suffer awfully from with self stigma, having the highest rates of suicide amongst medical professionals. Won't mandatory reporting prevent doctors from accessing the care when they need it increasing the incidents of serious mental illness in practising doctors?
Tragic!!!!!
Tragic!!!!!
