Beyond burnout II: A case series of doctors seen in a new publicly funded doctors' mental health service.

OBJECTIVE: Doctors' mental health has received increased focus recently and has been met with a variety of systemic responses. A Professional Support Unit (PSU) in a public hospital was established to address service gaps. This paper aims to describe the care of doctors referred to this service. METHODS: Participants in the first four cases were referred to the PSU and assessed by the first author. RESULTS: The cases revealed: (i) variety of referral sources, symptom presentations and backgrounds of doctors referred to a dedicated doctors' health service; and (ii) the person-centred, multi-modal treatments and adjunctive services required. CONCLUSION: Doctors' mental health is an urgent priority, with direct impacts on patient safety and care. The mix of patients presented here suggest difficulties beyond burnout and highlight the workings of a new service model designed to complement existing services in the Australian context.