Medicine is a career that most people consider to be enviable. Whatever one's criteria for a good job, being a doctor ticks a lot of boxes: doctors are needed, respected, well remunerated and can make a difference between life and death Increasingly, doctors are experiencing stress, depression and anxiety, fuelled by the increasing demands of the health services, and the lack of resources to support them.

Focussing on the causes, symptoms and management of psychological problems experienced by doctors at all stages in their careers, this book considers the difficulties and stressors of medicine as a career, linking to studies that look at what interventions are successful in the workplace and offering various solutions.

Including:

A study based over 20 years of doctors' stress factorsCase histories to bring the subject to lifeGuidance on choosing a specialty, dealing with difficult people, stress and demands 37

A valuable resource both for trainers and doctors alike.

Jenny Firth-Cozens is an occupational and clinical psychologist and Professor Emeritus of Clinical Psychology who has worked at all levels of the health service and within academia. She has published numerous reports and several books, both academic and popular, includingStress in Health Professionals: Psychological and organizational causes and interventions (Wiley) andNervous Breakdown: What is it? What causes it? Who will help? (Piatkus) which was a book club choice for many years. In addition she has contributed articles to most leading newspapers and magazines and for 10 years was agony aunt for Good Housekeeping and The Yorkshire Post.

Jamie Harrison, MA FRCGP, Deputy Director of Postgraduate GP Education, The Northern Deanery, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK has contributed the case scenarios.

Introduction.

Part 1: The job and you.

1 It's just a difficult job.

2 Why me?

Part 2: Waving, not drowning.

3 You and your partner: for life?

4 Choosing a specialty.

5 Dealing with stress.

6 Down in the dumps.

7 Difficult people?

8 Feeling angry.

9 A little too much.

10 Demands, demands, demands!

11 Can you afford emotions?

12 To err is human.

13 Managing the stress and problems of others.

Index.