Medical Student Perspective of Disclosing Personal Mental Health History and Stigma Surrounding Mental Illness.

Abstract

To the Editor: We read with interest the article by Vaa Stelling and West, “Faculty Disclosure of Personal Mental Health History and Resident Physician Perceptions of Stigma Surrounding Mental Illness.” 1 We must confess, as final-year medical students with varying personal experiences with mental illness, this gave us a feeling of hope for a brighter future in our careers. We find it would be beneficial for senior role models to freely talk about mental health, like Vaa Stelling and West describe. 1 Our peers have a great fear that disclosing mental illness leaves them vulnerable for future employers to see. 2 The “fitness-to-practice” scare is real, with some medical professionals still believing that doctors with mental health histories are less competent than those without them. 3 If senior role models created a conversation around mental illness, it would demonstrate that disclosing such information will not thwart a successful career in medicine. This article accurately discusses the tendency within medical culture to regard seeking help for mental illness as a weakness, rather than a strength. However, thankfully, there has been a shift in how medical students speak about mental health, moving more toward an environment that favors help-seeking. 4 Hopefully, this will continue, but more needs to be done. We fully believe mental health awareness should be incorporated into the medical curriculum among all levels of medical training. For example, having senior faculty or older students deliver workshops during university induction weeks. This would be a great way of actively fighting stigma around mental health issues and addressing the “fitness-to-practice” scare early within medicine. Medical training is a long and difficult journey, and we think initiatives like this one could make a crucial difference.