Treatment of the Psychiatrically Ill Physician by the Psychiatric Resident

Abstract

Of 112 California psychiatric residents who responded to a questionnaire, 33 indicated that they had treated at least one physician. This occurred almost as frequently in inpatient as in outpatient settings. The residents found that treating the physicians was particularly difficult and anxiety-generating, because it challenged their own professional competence and professional identity formation. Yet few had received training in this area. Implications and recommendations derived from the survey are discussed, and two representative cases are briefly presented.