News

Great things are afoot at Hollywood Private Hospital for CrazySocks4Docs Day

Jun 02, 2022

Hollywood Private Hospital staff will don eye-catching socks as part of CrazySocks4Docs Day on Friday, June 3 to draw attention to the mental health of doctors and health practitioners.

The aim of the CrazySocks4Docs campaign is to raise awareness about mental health and wellbeing in doctors and health practitioners. Participants wear a pair of colourful socks, take a photo and post it on social media with #crazysocks4docs.

Director of Medical Services Dr John Maxwell said the mental health of doctors is important.

“Having doctors who are mentally well results in better quality care for patients,” Dr Maxwell said.

“Events such as CrazySocks4Docs Day go a long way in reducing the stigma surrounding mental illness.”

Ramsay Clinic Hollywood psychiatrist Dr Andrew Jackson said the CrazySocks4Docs Day campaign was also good to encourage conversations about mental health for doctors.

“Mental health statistics for Australian doctors are sobering with high rates of psychological distress, as well as depressive and anxiety disorders,” Dr Jackson said.

“Doctors experience psychological distress when the demands on them exceeds their capacity to cope.

“There are many forces driving doctors to work longer and faster, such as pressures from work, family or finances.

“Doctors need to understand these pressures and regulate them – for their own wellbeing and to provide optimal patient care.”

Dr Jackson’s advice to doctors is to follow psychologist Martin Seligman’s building blocks for wellbeing with the PERMA+ acronym:

• Positive emotion – gratitude, mindfulness and optimism.
• Engagement – in activities that promote ‘flow’ and the ability to be present in the moment.
• Relationships – to promote a feeling of belonging.
• Meaning – purpose and a sense of being part of something bigger than ourselves.
• Achievements – working towards goals as much as achieving them + exercise, nutrition, sleep and optimism.

“By actively managing their workload and improving their resilience via the PERMA+ approach, doctors can find their work is a source of wellbeing, not stress,” Dr Jackson said.

Ramsay Clinic Hollywood Deputy Director of Clinical Service Caroline Dinnie, Psychiatrist Dr Andrew Jackson, Clinical Nurse Noemi Toth-Johnson and Anaesthetist Dr Mark Lennon.