Behind the White Coat: Supporting the Mental Health of Men in Medicine

When we talk about men’s health, we often focus on preventive screenings, heart health, and physical activity. Mental health deserves the same attention—including the mental health of the physicians caring for everyone else.

Behind a physician’s full schedule is a person carrying significant responsibility. Difficult diagnoses, concerns about patient outcomes, documentation requirements, insurance barriers, and decisions with lasting consequences can make it difficult to leave work at work. Even after the last patient leaves, there may be unanswered messages, unfinished charts, and lingering concerns about a complicated case.

During Men’s Health Awareness Month, we have an opportunity to ask: How well are we caring for the people we depend on to care for us?

Making Room for an Honest Conversation

Some men may feel pressure to appear strong, self-reliant, or in control, even when they are struggling. For physicians, that pressure may be reinforced by a professional culture that expects them to remain composed and keep moving through difficult circumstances.

Physicians may also worry about how seeking mental health care could affect their professional reputation. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that men are less likely than women to have received mental health treatment in the past year. Creating an environment where seeking care is respected can help make honest conversations possible.

A physician can be knowledgeable, compassionate, and dedicated while also experiencing anxiety or depression. Professional expertise does not eliminate the need for personal support.

Burnout, anxiety, and depression are distinct concerns, although they can occur together. We should avoid assuming that every overwhelmed physician has a mental health condition—or that persistent distress is simply an unavoidable part of practicing medicine.

Understanding the Pressure Behind the Workday

A busy clinic can make everyone feel rushed. For physicians, the demands often extend beyond the number of patients on the schedule. They may be navigating uncertainty, explaining an unexpected diagnosis, or trying to obtain treatment that an insurance plan has denied.

Meanwhile, routine administrative work continues to accumulate. The American Medical Association identifies administrative burden and barriers to effective teamwork as important contributors to physician burnout.

This gives the entire office a meaningful opportunity to help. Every staff member contributes to how information moves, how problems are resolved, and how manageable the day feels.

Practical Ways the Office Can Help

Make communication clear and purposeful.

Before sending a question, gather the relevant information, explain what requires a decision, and identify any deadline. A message that includes the problem, what has already been done, and the specific assistance needed is easier to act on.

Combine related nonurgent questions when appropriate, while promptly escalating urgent clinical concerns. The goal is to help the physician recognize what needs attention and respond efficiently.

Make documentation and coding questions easier to answer.

Billers, coders, auditors, and educators can reduce confusion by explaining exactly what requires clarification and why. A focused, neutral question is more useful than repeatedly returning a chart with a general instruction to “fix the documentation.”

For example, identify the conflicting information or missing detail and ask the physician to clarify their clinical findings. Avoid suggesting a diagnosis or answer simply to support a code.

When the same issue appears repeatedly, consider whether a short educational conversation or workflow adjustment would be more helpful than another isolated message. Respectful education gives physicians an opportunity to understand the requirement and ask questions.

Follow through and close the loop.

Track referrals, authorization requests, records, and other responsibilities within your role. Let the physician know what has been completed, what remains unresolved, and whether their involvement is necessary.

Clear ownership can help prevent work from repeatedly returning to the physician because no one knows who should handle it. Delegation must remain appropriate to each team member’s training, responsibilities, and scope.

Help make breaks and time away possible.

Encouraging someone to take a break is more useful when coverage actually exists. Supervisors can review schedules, arrange backup, and create realistic opportunities for meals, documentation, and healthcare appointments.

These efforts should support the whole team. Reducing physician workload by overwhelming nurses, medical assistants, or administrative staff creates another problem that leadership needs to address.

Notice the Person Beyond the Schedule

Mental health concerns are not always obvious. Persistent worry, irritability, difficulty concentrating, sleep changes, or withdrawal may signal that someone is struggling. These changes can have many explanations; coworkers should respond with concern rather than attempt to diagnose them.

A private conversation can begin simply:

“You’ve had a lot on your plate lately. How are you doing?”

A specific offer may also be helpful:

“I can follow up on those authorization requests today. Would that take something off your list?”

Listen without pressing for personal details or immediately trying to solve everything. Avoid gossip, jokes about someone “not handling the pressure,” or comments that dismiss their experience because other people are also busy.

If someone shares that they are struggling, thank them for trusting you. Ask what support would be useful and respect their privacy. They should have a choice about what they disclose.

Leadership Sets the Conditions for Support

Individual kindness matters, but lasting improvement requires attention to staffing, scheduling, workplace culture, and administrative processes. CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health emphasizes addressing workplace policies and practices to improve healthcare worker well-being.

Practice leaders can ask where work repeatedly gets delayed, which tasks create unnecessary duplication, and whether productivity expectations allow enough time for the work required. Listening should lead to visible follow-through, even when a larger problem will take time to resolve.

Leaders can also make mental health resources easy to find, explain the privacy protections and limits of available programs, and support time to access care. When worry, low mood, or other symptoms persist or interfere with daily life, encourage care from a qualified healthcare professional. Coworker support can make that step easier, but it cannot replace treatment.

Physicians deserve care because their health matters. This November, supporting men’s mental health can begin in our own offices—with a thoughtful conversation, a clearer workflow, and a workplace where asking for help is treated with respect.