A doctor’s tale of stress at work

Work-related stress is responsible for almost half of sick days in the UK each year. So what are the early signs of burnout? And what can be done to avoid it?

British doctor turned author Adam Kay kept a secret diary to cope with the stress of delivering more than 1,000 babies in a busy hospital. It’s now a best-selling book This is Going to Hurt. He tells an audience of BBC staff how would-be doctors should know about the downsides as well as the highs.

Helping doctors and prison officers to deal with stressful jobs is the work of Gail Kinman, Professor of Occupational Health Psychology at the University of Bedfordshire in the UK. She explains how a study of junior doctors revealed they’d rather make up a physical health problem than admit that they were suffering from stress.

Kay wishes he’d talked to colleagues earlier instead of keeping it to himself. Kay is wary of wellbeing days: he says Zumba classes won’t help if you’re doing three people’s jobs and don’t have time to go.

Kinman deals with stress by walking her dog in the forest near her home, where the quiet helps her to get things in perspective.

Health Check was presented by Claudia Hammond

Producer: Paula McGrath

(Photo credit: BernardaSv/Getty Images)