Category: Psychiatry

Doctors and nurses are dying by suicide, as America’s health care workers call for change

In the spring of 2020, as COVID-19 swept through hospitals in the tri-state area, Dr. Lorna Breen, a physician who served as the medical director of the emergency department at New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, contracted COVID while caring for pat…

From helplessness to hope: a psychiatrist’s story of working with suicidal teens [PODCAST]

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! In this episode, we are joined by Shivana Naidoo, a child psychiatrist, who shares a poignant reflection on her experiences with some of her most worrisome teenage patients. As she prepares…

Processing grief: a vital step for health care workers during COVID-19 [PODCAST]

 Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! In this episode, our guest Susan MacLellan-Tobert, a pediatric cardiologist and physician coach, delves into the challenges faced by healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despi…

Why work shouldn’t define your self-worth [PODCAST]

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! In this episode, we are joined by Tracey O’Connell, a radiologist and physician coach, to discuss the pitfalls of “do what you love” as career advice, particularly for college graduates. We…

Breaking the silence on mental health: Why understanding past traumas is key

Depression is a complex and multifaceted illness that affects millions of people worldwide. For a long time, the prevailing explanation for depression has been that a chemical imbalance in the brain causes it, and I, like many other clinicians, accepte…

The secret to staying alert during night shifts: coffee naps and more

Working night shifts in health care, particularly emergency medicine, requires maintaining alertness and focus during extended hours. I’ve experienced firsthand the challenges and risks associated with sleep deprivation, including a frightening i…

The invisible epidemic: How physician burnout is affecting the medical community

Physicians dedicate their lives to the well-being of their patients, often neglecting their mental health in the process. The demanding nature of their profession, coupled with long hours, emotional exhaustion, and immense responsibility, can result in…

Why doctors are experts at dissociating

When you think of the word dissociate, it likely conjures up images of someone stumbling up a beach with no recollection of their life before being washed up on shore. Sure, dissociative amnesia is a (rare) phenomenon. But dissociating is not. In fact,…

Psychological safety: the unspoken key to health care success [PODCAST]

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! In this episode, we are joined by clinical psychologist and health systems leadership consultant, Nicola F. De Paul, to discuss the importance of psychological safety in health care environ…

What was right with me when I developed severe depression?

For several years, I fixated on what was wrong with me rather than seeing what was right with me when I developed symptoms of severe depression. If you’re struggling, too, you’re not broken, either. What is your brain telling you? While I a…