What are the main stressors affecting the mental health and well-being of doctors in Singapore amid the Covid-19 pandemic?

For some doctors, it is the increased workload, for others, it is the strain of wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) for long periods of time.

Another stressor identified by studies last year was the constant upheaval and change as new information came in about the coronavirus.

According to a Parkway Shenton study of primary care doctors at its 54 clinics, 44 per cent of the doctors surveyed said that inconsistent communication about public health directives, such as mask wearing, added to their burden.

Parkway Shenton medical director Edwin Chng, who led the study, said doctors were most likely to be concerned about infecting family or loved ones. Some 77 per cent of doctors cited this concern as a stressor, compared with worries about contracting Covid-19 themselves (44 per cent).

About 40 per cent of the doctors in this study also worried about loss of income as patient load dropped by 10 to 15 per cent. Dr Chng attributed the drop to a reduction in upper respiratory tract infections, as people masked up and practised good hygiene. Some patients might also have avoided going to clinics or hospitals for fear of contracting the Covid-19 infection.

The financial strain from reduced patient load on private clinics was also highlighted as a stressor in a study conducted by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH).

The study of 257 primary care doctors, led by Dr Alvin Lum, head of medical care and deputy director, mental health-GP partnership programme at IMH, also found that doctors were financially affected because there were fewer chances for locum work, which is when doctors stand in for other doctors.

The IMH study surveyed primary care doctors in polyclinics as well as private clinics. It also identified these stressors on doctors' well-being: the changes to operating guidelines for private clinics, the physical and mental strain of wearing PPE for long periods of time and an increased workload.

Akshita Nanda