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recent GP survey on stress not being an illness

Phased
When understanding why GPS might respond in the way they have to questions about the mental health of patients 
'Life being stressful is not an illness' - GPs on mental health over-diagnosis - BBC News
It might be worth considering how they themselves are feeling:
Key findings from international surveys and reports highlight:
  • High Stress Levels: In a survey of 10 high-income countries, 71% of UK GPs found their job "extremely" or "very stressful," the highest level among the nations surveyed.
  • Widespread Burnout: GPs are considered more vulnerable to burnout and work-related mental health problems than doctors in most other specialties. A BMA survey in 2024 found that nearly three-quarters of GP registrars (doctors in training) were experiencing burnout and stress.
  • Impact on Workforce: The unsustainable pressure and stress have led to many GPs reducing their hours, considering leaving their jobs altogether, or leaving the profession early, contributing to workforce shortages.
  • Workload as a Key Factor: The main source of stress is consistently identified as heavy workload, time pressure, and a large administrative burden, often compounded by staffing gaps and insufficient resources.
  • Organizational Culture: Lack of collegial support and unhealthy practice cultures (e.g., bullying) are also significant sources of distress, while strong team support is a key protective factor for individual well-being. 

So what I'm saying is that with GPs mostly living with extreme stress as part of their daily life (until they succumb to it themselves... )  it's hardly unlikely they think being stressed is not an illness.

Thoughts good people?

Parents

  • I think they should have personal supervision like counsellors and therapists do, someone more experienced they can talk to about their patients, without breaking confidentiality, either about a specific problem that they can't get to the bottom of, or just the grind of seeing people they can't help because the real problems are poverty.

    According to my son, GP's in England charge £50 for a sick note, so it's not an easy or cheap option, but one that will eat more than half of your weeking benefit payment. 

  • in reply to TheCatWoman

    personal supervision helps -

    having a service provision that even by 1% excedes the needs would resolve most of the problems i suspect

  • in reply to Phased

    If you take a strict definition of what a medical problem is and isn't, then things like a broken leg might not be a medical condition, likewse appendix removal, thats a surgical one. Stress could be considered a mental health problem, which as we all know is an awkward thing provoking extreme reactions, from pull your socks up, to filling you with every pill they can find in the hope that one works.

    I think the problem is more a lack of holistic thinking about health, than anything else. Mind and body are linked, is your IBS playing up because your stressed, or are you stressed because your IBS is playing up?

  • in reply to Phased

    No not an IT solution, there's to much IT involved in health care, theres to much IT involved in daily life, computer says no is still to much of a problem. IT could be a solution, if it were better thought out, more responsive and focussed properly and that people both staff and patients know how to use it and it's relaible. My GP's have a check in screen that we're supposed ot use, I did it and it didn't register I was there, I sat in that waiting room for nearly an hour before I went and asked a person. Many older people don't use it either, touch screens aren't very good if you have dry skin, somethng many older people suffer from.

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  • in reply to Phased

    No not an IT solution, there's to much IT involved in health care, theres to much IT involved in daily life, computer says no is still to much of a problem. IT could be a solution, if it were better thought out, more responsive and focussed properly and that people both staff and patients know how to use it and it's relaible. My GP's have a check in screen that we're supposed ot use, I did it and it didn't register I was there, I sat in that waiting room for nearly an hour before I went and asked a person. Many older people don't use it either, touch screens aren't very good if you have dry skin, somethng many older people suffer from.

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