Tell Your State Medical Board to Prioritize Clinicians’ Mental Health and to Stop the Culture of Silence
“Often we worry that if we seek treatment for mental health, we may be deemed incompetent and jeopardize our license and our livelihoods.”
– Shelby Collins, Nurse Practitioner
Did you know…
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Physicians die by suicide at twice the rate of the general U.S. population. For too many, their mental health conditions go unaddressed.
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43% of physicians say they didn't seek help for burnout or depression because they “don’t want to risk disclosure to the Medical Board.”
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Dozens of states continue to ask invasive questions about clinicians’ mental health and history on medical licensing applications, which determine whether a healthcare worker receives or renews their license to practice medicine.
What does this mean?
In many cases, healthcare workers are faced with invasive, prying, and stigmatizing questions about their mental health and well-being. Physicians fear that their answers will dictate whether they’ll receive or keep their license, and in many cases, their fear is valid.
The bottom line: These invasive questions discourage healthcare providers from seeking help. And, the questions don’t do anything to protect the public.
What can you do to help?
We call them heroes, but our healthcare workers are human – and they need support. You can #StopTheStigma by using our advocacy tool to tell your State Medical Board to:
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Audit medical licensing applications and peer review forms.
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Remove any invasive or stigmatizing language around mental health or substance abuse.
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Communicate these changes and assure healthcare workers it is safe to seek care.