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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 TheCatWoman

    That’s true. I can multitask but for some reason lots of the time I’m just waiting for 45 mins for the that one thing to finish. I have got real control over exactly when I’m going to have a do everything day. This is kind of the thing when people thing of autists they maybe think of casino card counters and artists, but it you can’t assume they are interested in making money or making art that other people like. I can do them on tap for me but not to perform for others, the environment and feeling has to be just right. I’ve been grappling with how to explain this for years, it’s is kind of like the 45 mins to multitask while the cake is baking analogy. I’m spinning plates in my head and it could all fall down.

  • in reply to Phased

    It might be for some autists, but not for me, I can do several things at once, a lot of multitasking is doing things in the spaces left in other things. For example you might make a cake and put it in the oven for 45 mins to bake, what you do in the 45 mins is the important thing, you can wash up and clean the work surfaces, sweep the floor and do the hoovering whilst that cakes in the oven, or you can sit on your bum and wait for it to finish.

    I know I'm lucky with my GP's, I know other practices on the island do the 8am scramble and it can takes weeks to get an appointment, no wonder A&E depts are full of people who shouldn't be there and wouldn't be there had they got a GP's appt sooner.

Reply
  • in reply to Phased

    It might be for some autists, but not for me, I can do several things at once, a lot of multitasking is doing things in the spaces left in other things. For example you might make a cake and put it in the oven for 45 mins to bake, what you do in the 45 mins is the important thing, you can wash up and clean the work surfaces, sweep the floor and do the hoovering whilst that cakes in the oven, or you can sit on your bum and wait for it to finish.

    I know I'm lucky with my GP's, I know other practices on the island do the 8am scramble and it can takes weeks to get an appointment, no wonder A&E depts are full of people who shouldn't be there and wouldn't be there had they got a GP's appt sooner.

Children
  • in reply to TheCatWoman

    That’s true. I can multitask but for some reason lots of the time I’m just waiting for 45 mins for the that one thing to finish. I have got real control over exactly when I’m going to have a do everything day. This is kind of the thing when people thing of autists they maybe think of casino card counters and artists, but it you can’t assume they are interested in making money or making art that other people like. I can do them on tap for me but not to perform for others, the environment and feeling has to be just right. I’ve been grappling with how to explain this for years, it’s is kind of like the 45 mins to multitask while the cake is baking analogy. I’m spinning plates in my head and it could all fall down.