Mental Health Clinicians

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (14:39): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Health and Wellbeing in relation to mental health support for clinicians.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: During my long period of working in the mental health and suicide prevention sectors, I have constantly been reminded of the need for personal self-care and support for health professionals and volunteers involved in assisting others. Will the minister update the council on how we can all help to support the mental health of our clinicians?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:39): I thank the honourable member for his question. Even on a good day, our doctors and health professionals have a tough job. They are entrusted with our health, diagnosing illnesses or injuries, administering treatment and counsel and often providing a critical source of comfort and support for families and patients.

This year, the daily challenges have been added to, as they responded first to the bushfire crisis that engulfed our state and now to the global coronavirus pandemic. It is important for all of us to look after our mental health and wellbeing, especially as the pandemic continues to impact on our lives. That is particularly the case for those who provide vital care to others. We need to support our doctors and health professionals and encourage them to prioritise their own mental health and wellbeing.

We have all been shocked by the images from around the world, where we see hospitals overrun with patients and a rising global death toll, but fortunately for most of us we can turn off our television sets, put down our mobile devices and put the images aside. But for our doctors and health professionals on the front line who are responsible for delivering the massive on-the-ground defence against the virus, these images are particularly confronting. At the same time they are preparing our health system for a range of catastrophic scenarios they are continuing to provide care and treatment to patients for their ongoing health issues.

Our health system and community has responded with incredible strength and resilience. However, the support doctors and health professionals provide for others can come at a significant personal cost. The National Mental Health Survey of Doctors and Medical Students, originally published in 2013 and updated in June 2019, found that doctors reported substantially higher rates of psychological distress and suicidal thoughts compared to both the Australian population and other Australian professionals. We can help. We need to care for those who care for us. This Friday 5 June is Crazy Socks 4 Docs Day, which aims to raise awareness of the mental health of doctors and health professionals.

Dr Geoff Toogood started Crazy Socks 4 Docs Day in 2017 in response to his own experience. Wearing odd socks to work, rather than starting a discussion about whether he was okay, he heard his colleagues whisper behind his back about his own battle with mental illness. In reality he only had two odd socks to wear that day after the rest had been eaten by his puppy. Dr Toogood started Crazy Socks 4 Docs Day to make it okay for a doctor not to be okay and to help doctors around the world not suicide. This initiative is now a global movement, and I would encourage everyone to wear fun socks on the first Friday in June to help raise awareness and normalise the mental health conversation.

Each year, as Minister for Health and Wellbeing, I have enjoyed taking part in Crazy Socks 4 Docs Day. This year I will again be putting on a pair of crazy socks in appreciation for our doctors and the work they do to keep us safe. This Friday I would encourage everyone to join me in finding some really crazy coloured socks and putting them on. The Crazy Socks 4 Docs Day movement encourages people to take a photo of those socks and put that photo on social media. We can all help start the conversation. Putting on crazy socks is one way of caring for those who care for us.