The president of the Association of Psychiatric Physicians of Quebec, Dr.re Claire Gamache, sounds the alarm: the mental health of caregivers is deteriorating and the Quebec government, she argues, must attack this problem head on. His group is organizing a summit entitled “Generous States” at the end of April, in collaboration with various partners.
Burnout threatens many caregivers, reports the Dre Gamache. According to a survey conducted by the Canadian Medical Association and made public in January, 60% of physicians, residents and medical students in Quebec had significant symptoms of burnout in the fall of 2021. This rate rose to 53% nationwide (compared to 31% four years ago).
In the province, the Quebec Physician Assistance Program is also receiving more and more calls. According to the organization, requests for assistance increased by 28% between the 1is June 2020 and May 31, 2021, then 18% the following year.
“It must be recognized that [la santé mentale des soignants] is a major issue, says the Dre Gamache. We didn’t take care of it before the pandemic, when we were supposed to. »
Same story from Jessica Rassy, president of the Quebec Association of Mental Health Nurses. According to her, work stoppages are numerous among nurses and they lead to others, in the midst of a staff shortage. “There is a lot of compensation that is done on the part of colleagues, and often, that is what, unfortunately, leads to other exhaustions”, specifies the professor at the University of Sherbrooke, who will participate in the “States generous “.
The next generation is not spared. A 2021 survey of students at the School of Nursing at the University of Sherbrooke showed “an increase in the level of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the pandemic” , reports Jessica Rassy. “These are nurses who are starting practice now,” she says. We know that their mental health was already deteriorated before debuting. »
Find solutions
“Generous States”, which will take place in Montreal on April 28, aims to take stock of the state of the troops as well as to propose concrete solutions to improve the well-being of health professionals. The forum will bring together university researchers, particularly in human resource management and social work. The Minister responsible for Social Services, the Dr Lionel Carmant, as well as Associate Deputy Minister Daniel Paré will be present. “We want to mobilize everyone”, says the Dre Gamache.
The president of the Association of Psychiatric Physicians of Quebec regrets that little data exists on the mental health of Quebec caregivers. “We have absenteeism figures for mental health problems among staff, but we have nothing at all among doctors and managers [du réseau], she argues. If we have indicators for everything, it would be good if we had indicators for that too. »
According to her, patients are well aware that their doctors and healthcare professionals are “tired”. She cites the example of young drug addicts with mental health problems who gave a conference in Montreal last fall. “They told us: ‘We think that you have to take care of yourselves, because you have quite a short fuse'”, she summarizes.
Vincent Dumez, scientific co-director at the Center of Excellence on Partnership with Patients and the Public, believes that patient partners — major users of the healthcare system who bring their “expertise” to healthcare institutions and researchers to benefit – can be put to use during the “generous States”. He himself will take part.
One of the keys, according to him, to reduce the pressure on caregivers? Educate citizens regarding health. “If we have a population of users who have further developed their skills, who have a little more knowledge, who are then able to make access choices [aux soins] relevant, to have greater autonomy, that will take the pressure off the system,” explains Vincent Dumez.
Caregivers and patients must also show “mutual empathy”. “Users are coming out of this period of crisis [pandémique] with some frustrations, he explains. But if we are able to put ourselves in the shoes of the person on the other side, who has also undergone a certain number of constraints and difficult situations, well, maybe that will help to relax the atmosphere. »
Mental health remains a “taboo” in the world of health, according to Jessica Rassy. Caregivers are driven by “a desire to help” and experience “shame” when they realize that they are suffering from professional burnout and that they have not detected it themselves, despite their knowledge. “We don’t want to leave our colleagues in trouble,” adds Jessica Rassy. We feel guilty for seeking help and recognizing our limitations. »
