1. Stress Management Techniques
Presented by:

2. Presenters: Ramneek Hoonjan Haesue Jo, LMFT AMSA BetterHelp
Professional Development Committee, Education Development Coordinator
Haesue Jo, LMFT
BetterHelp
Community & Clinical Support Manager

3. What is BetterHelp? Professional online counseling
Accessible, affordable, and convenient
2,500 licensed therapists
Psychologists (PhD/PsyD)
Marriage and family therapists (LMFT)
Clinical social workers (LCSW/LMSW)
Board licensed professional counselors (LPC)
Licensed mental health counselors (LMHC)

4. Identifying Burnout

5. Healthcare Provider Burnout
Common Themes
Exhaustion
Existential crises
Guilt
Grief
Anxiety
Depression
Countertransference

6. Healthcare Provider Burnout
Suicide rate amongst physicians is one of the highest of any profession (higher than military)
One doctor dies by suicide in the US every day
This is often a result of untreated/undertreated depression
Not exclusive to North America
Finland, Norway, Australia, Singapore, China, and elsewhere have shown an increase in anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts among medical students and health care professionals
These statistics were presented at the American Psychiatric Association 2018 annual meeting

7. Common concerns of physicians & medical students
Lack of work life balance
Burnout
High demands/expectations
Competitiveness
Long shifts / lack of sleep
More recently: decreased resources & residency positions

8. How do we recognize burnout early?
Burnout, aka Chronic Stress
Physical/emotional exhaustion
Cynicism and detachment (jaded)
Loss of enjoyment, pessimism, isolation, detachment
Feelings of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment
Feelings of apathy/hopelessness, increased irritability, lack of productivity and poor performance
Be aware now that it’s a common concern in your profession

9. How do we recognize burnout early?
Things to be mindful of
Chronic fatigue
Increased illness
Insomnia
Loss of appetite
Forgetfulness
Anxiety
Physical symptoms
Depression
Chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, gastrointestinal pain, dizziness, fainting, headaches
Anger

10. Stress Management Techniques

11. Dealing with stress as a med student
Self-Care
Airplane oxygen mask
Prevention
Socialize, connect with others
Remind yourself of what you value in what you are doing
Find meaning/satisfaction in all areas of life, not just professional
Time management
Setting healthy boundaries, set aside break/relaxation time, good sleep hygiene
Establishing good habits early on
Having a good outlet to destress
Exercise, eat well (whole nutritious foods), sleep well, social supports

12. Importance of reaching out and increasing awareness
Isolation can increase symptoms of detachment and hopelessness (which can result in reckless behaviors)
Depression & substance abuse increasing in healthcare professionals, and both are occupational hazards
Tendency to think you can treat yourself and your concerns
Idealmedicalcare.org survey
90% of physicians have been depressed at some point
Only 33% pursue any kind of professional intervention
Hanging out with friends/family outside of the world of medicine is important!

13. What can BetterHelp offer?
Discrete access to a counselor
Convenient scheduling for busy people
Professional, licensed therapists that can provide mental health & career counseling
Interactive worksheets and concrete strategies to manage stress
No cost to find out if it’s right for you

14. AMSA discount for BetterHelp
28 days of FREE therapy
Discounted pricing after 28 days at $45/week billed monthly
Personal matching with licensed professional therapist
Unlimited communication with your therapist
Four modes of communication: Text, chat, voice & video
Available on iOS, Android and PC

15. Thank you!