Doctors Face Huge Stigma About Mental Illness. Now There’s an Effort to Change That

February 7, 2024

Clinician in scrubs sitting on the floor in the hospital hallway.

(NPR) – Physicians often fear they could be shamed or penalized — or could even lose their jobs — for disclosing details about their mental health to licensing boards and employers. Now, there’s a concerted effort to reduce that stigma. In Massachusetts, all hospitals and health insurers have promised to stop asking clinicians about their history of mental illness and addiction in the paperwork used to determine if someone can safely care for patients. Instead, they’ll ask only about current conditions — mental or physical — that could impair someone’s ability to practice medicine. (Read More)