Stop the Stigma - Part 1
Stop the Stigma: Part 1
July 15, 2023
Did you know roughly 400 physicians in the U.S. die by suicide each YEAR? That’s approximately double the suicide rate of the general population. Something has got to change. EMRA*Cast host Lizzii Le, MD, sits down with two pioneers, Dr. Amanda Deutsch and Dr. aL’Ai Alvarez, to talk about the #StoptheStigmaEM campaign.
BONUS: Listen to "Stop the Stigma: Part 2" here!
Host
Elizabeth Le, MD
Mercy Health - St. Rita's
@LizziiLeMed
EMRA*Cast Episodes
Guests
Al'ai Alvarez, MD, FACEP, FAAEM
Clinical Associate Professor, EM
Director of Wellbeing
Co-Director of Human Potential Team
Director, Emergency Medicine Wellness Fellowship
Stanford University
@alvarezzzy
Amanda J. Deutsch, MD
Wellness Fellow, 2023
Clinical Instructor, EM
Stanford University
@amandajdeutsch
Overview
Did you know roughly 400 physicians in the U.S. die by suicide each YEAR? That’s approximately double the suicide rate of the general population. Something has got to change. EMRA*Cast host Lizzii Le, MD, sits down with two pioneers, Dr. Amanda Deutsch and Dr. aL’Ai Alvarez, to talk about the Stop the Stigma EM campaign.
TAKE-HOME POINTS
- Our field is highly stressful, and we experience traumas on the daily.
- Talking to peers can help us relieve stress and validate our feelings. We are not alone!
- Setting boundaries for yourself is important to protecting your mental space.
- Creating a safe environment to discuss our traumas is needed to combat depression and feelings of isolation.
- EM physicians who are proactive about their own mental health protect their ability to maintain optimal, safe patient care!
#STOPTHE STIGMAEM
- October is #STOPTHESTIGMAEM month, when EM organizations across the country will unite to foster education, awareness, advocacy, and policy action related to breaking down barriers to mental health care in EM.
- EMRA will host EMRA Airway Stories on Wednesday, Oct. 11, in Philadelphia. This is a safe space to share the stresses, successes, and everything in between with your peers. Details will be posted at https://www.emra.org/be-involved/events--activities/acep.
- Special thanks to Anish Agarwal, MD, MPH, Chief Wellness Officer for the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, who co-led the StopTheStigmaEM campaign last year.
MORE RESOURCES
- Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation is leading efforts to promote wellbeing and combat burnout among health care workers; this organization is funded in part by the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act, and it honors an EM leader who died by suicide after shepherding colleagues through the trauma of being on the front lines of the pandemic.
- Physician Task Load and the Risk of Burnout Among U.S. Physicians in a National Survey
- 988: This is the 3-digit emergency number for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, for anyone experiencing mental health crisis or seeking help for someone who is in crisis.
