What is Every Doctor, Every Setting: A National Framework?

Supporting the health and wellbeing of doctors is vital to ensuring a strong, effective medical profession. Doctors are a critical part of health services and are crucial to the health of individuals and communities. Until recently, however, the mental health of the medical profession, including building mentally healthy environments for doctors and medical students, has received little attention in policy, despite research clearly indicating the need for intervention.

This Framework brings together the best available evidence on what works to prevent and respond to mental ill-health and suicide and applies it to the medical profession. The Framework:

• Encourages a strategic and integrated approach to improving mental health and wellbeing and reducing risks associated with mental ill-health and suicide
• Offers an evidence-informed framework with priority actions that are relevant to the medical profession and the environments in which doctors and medical students work, study and train
• Builds on the capacity of leaders in the medical profession to create environments and systems that support mental health and wellbeing.

The Vision

A medical profession that works and studies in environments that support wellbeing and enable quality patient care.

The Goal

Coordinated action to prevent mental ill-health and suicidal behaviour and support good mental health for all doctors and medical students.

To support coordinated action, a National Framework has been developed with the support of medical leaders in Australia. 

Guiding principles

• The wellbeing of the medical profession is a national priority, requiring a coordinated and resourced approach.
• Environments that value, develop and support the medical profession are conducive to good patient care.
• Targeting the structural and environmental risk factors impacting on the medical profession is an immediate priority.
• Medical professionals who experience mental ill-health and suicidal behaviour can and do provide quality patient care.
• Support from all key stakeholders is required to ensure implementation and evaluation of evidence-based interventions across all settings.

Pillars for coordinated action

1. Improve training and work environments.
2. Recognise and respond to those needing support.
3. Improve response to doctors and medical students impacted.
4. Improve the culture of the medical profession to enable wellbeing.
5. Improve coordinated action and accountability.

Resources

Download a copy of Every Doctor, Every Setting: A National Framework below.

What's next?

Learn how to implement and support Every Doctor, Every Setting: A National Framework.