ABSTRACT
Emergency physicians (EPs) are at the frontline of the hospital system faced with supporting people through a range of potentially life-changing events and at the same time dealing with highly confronting social and behavioral issues. While these experiences are shared by nurses and paramedics, the decision-making role of an emergency physician can add an extra layer of responsibility. Doctors are not immune to the impact that these challenges may have on their mental health but sometimes find admitting to those impacts confronting and professionally taxing. The medical professional culture is often seen as intolerant of perceptions of weakness. There is a growing awareness of the risks faced by emergency physicians to their mental health and wellbeing and an acceptance that interventions are required to support emergency physicians and to help them build their resilience. The aim of this chapter is to explore the risks to mental health among emergency physicians. The chapter will explore the context within which emergency physicians operate, identify evidence of the level of risk, explore the factors that impact that risk, and the organizational and individual factors required to maximize resilience and psychological growth.
