Physicians and surgeons face a higher risk of experiencing mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression, substance use, or trauma-related disorders like PTSD; suicide and suicidal ideation; and occupational distress syndromes such as burnout. Despite growing recognition of these issues and a greater willingness to talk about occupation distress syndromes, there continues to be considerable stigma and shame around mental illness, as well as a hesitancy to openly discuss the topic within the profession of medicine. During this session, a panel of experts discuss key concepts about mental illness and occupational distress for physicians and surgeons, describe how occupational distress syndromes may threaten well-being, summarize how stigma and professional culture may undermine well-being, and describe concrete strategies and resources to support well-being.

*please note: this session specifically talks about suicide and suicidal ideation