Recommendations for improving the working conditions and cultures of distressed junior doctors, based on a qualitative study and stakeholder perspectives.

Background: Doctors, including junior doctors, are vulnerable to greater levels of distress and mental health difficulties than the public. This is exacerbated by their working conditions and cultures. While this vulnerability has been known for many years, little action has been taken to protect and support junior doctors working in the NHS.

Relationship between working conditions and psychological distress experienced by junior doctors in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional survey study.

Objectives: This paper explored the self-reported prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress among junior doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also reports the association between working conditions and psychological distress experienced by junior doctors.

Design: A cross-sectional online survey study was conducted, using the 21-item Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale and Health and Safety Executive scale to measure psychological well-being and working cultures of junior doctors.

'You know where we are if you need us.' The role of primary care in supporting patients following pancreaticoduodenectomy for cancer: a qualitative study.

Background: Ten per cent of patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer undergo pancreaticoduodenectomy. It is known that these patients have unmet psychological support needs, and GPs are key in enabling effective coordination of care for people living with life-shortening conditions.

Aim: To explore patients' perspectives on the role of primary care in their management, and their sources of support.

'It's always in the back of my mind': understanding the psychological impact of recovery following pancreaticoduodenectomy for cancer: a qualitative study.

Objectives: Ten per cent of patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer undergo pancreaticoduodenectomy. There is limited previous research focusing on psychological well-being; unmet support needs impact negatively on quality of life. This paper reports the psychological impact of a pancreatic cancer diagnosis and subsequent pancreaticoduodenectomy, exploring how patients' lives alter following surgery and how they seek support.

What challenges did junior doctors face while working during the COVID-19 pandemic? A qualitative study.

Objectives: This paper reports findings exploring junior doctors' experiences of working during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK.

Design: Qualitative study using in-depth interviews with 15 junior doctors. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, anonymised and imported into NVivo V.

Patient reported self-help strategies and the perceived benefits for managing sub-threshold depressive symptoms: A nested qualitative study of Australian primary care attendees.

Background: Subthreshold depression is common in primary care, but there is little information about the self-help strategies that patients use and the perceived benefits of these.

Aim: This study sought to elicit the self-help strategies that primary care attendees identified as beneficial for the self-management of subthreshold depressive symptoms and the implications for general practitioners.

Method: Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 14 people (April-May 2017) from the Target-D randomised controlled trial (RCT).

Protective factors and sources of support in the workplace as experienced by UK foundation and junior doctors: a qualitative study.

Objectives: This paper reports findings identifying foundation and junior doctors' experiences of occupational and psychological protective factors in the workplace and sources of effective support.

Design: Interpretative, inductive, qualitative study involving in-depth interviews with 21 junior doctor participants. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, anonymised and imported into NVivo V.

'Reluctant pioneer': A qualitative study of doctors' experiences as patients with long COVID.

Background: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has had far-reaching effects upon lives, healthcare systems and society. Some who had an apparently 'mild' COVID-19 infection continue to suffer from persistent symptoms, including chest pain, breathlessness, fatigue, cognitive impairment, paraesthesia, muscle and joint pains. This has been labelled 'long COVID'.

Finding the 'right' GP: a qualitative study of the experiences of people with long-COVID.

Background: An unknown proportion of people who had an apparently mild COVID-19 infection continue to suffer with persistent symptoms, including chest pain, shortness of breath, muscle and joint pains, headaches, cognitive impairment ('brain fog'), and fatigue. Post-acute COVID-19 ('long-COVID') seems to be a multisystem disease, sometimes occurring after a mild acute illness; people struggling with these persistent symptoms refer to themselves as 'long haulers'.

Aim: To explore experiences of people with persisting symptoms following COVID-19 infection, and their views on primary care support received.

". . . The Forgotten Heroes": A Qualitative Study Exploring How Friends and Family Members of DV Survivors Use Domestic Violence Helplines.

Many women who experience domestic violence (DV) seek support from friends, relatives, colleagues, and neighbors. There are substantial knock-on effects for informal supporters, and they may seek help themselves. Tailored services for this group are rare, but DV helplines can provide listening and signposting support.

'We're all wounded healers': A qualitative study to explore the well-being and needs of helpline workers supporting survivors of domestic violence and abuse.

Domestic violence and abuse (DVA) can include physical, psychological, sexual, emotional or financial abuses, and is a globally widespread problem across all age groups, cultures and socioeconomic groups. Alongside the impacts of DVA experienced by survivors, there is a growing recognition that other people, who form the support network of survivors, may also be affected by the situation. Domestic violence organisations such as helplines are important third sector services supporting survivors.

How should we implement collaborative care for older people with depression? A qualitative study using normalisation process theory within the CASPER plus trial.

Background: Depression in older people may have a prevalence as high as 20%, and is associated with physical co-morbidities, loss, and loneliness. It is associated with poorer health outcomes and reduced quality of life, and is under-diagnosed and under-treated. Older people may find it difficult to speak to their GPs about low mood, and GPs may avoid identifying depression due to limited consultation time and referral options for older patients.

'Treading water but drowning slowly': what are GPs' experiences of living and working with mental illness and distress in England? A qualitative study.

Objectives: This paper provides an in-depth account of general practitioners' (GPs) experiences of living and working with mental illness and distress, as part of a wider study reporting the barriers and facilitators to help-seeking for mental illness and burn-out, and sources of stress/distress for GP participants.

Design: Qualitative study using in-depth interviews with 47 GP participants. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, anonymised and imported into NVivo V.

Discrimination, harassment and non-reporting in UK medical education.

Context: Discrimination and harassment create a hostile environment with deleterious effects on student well-being and education. In this study, we aimed to: (i) measure prevalences and types of discrimination and harassment in one UK medical school, and (ii) understand how and why students report them.

Methods: The study used a mixed-methods design.

What are the sources of stress and distress for general practitioners working in England? A qualitative study.

Objectives: This paper reports the sources of stress and distress experienced by general practitioners (GP) as part of a wider study exploring the barriers and facilitators to help-seeking for mental illness and burnout among this medical population.

Design: Qualitative study using in-depth interviews with 47 GP participants. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, anonymised and imported into NVivo V.

Barriers, facilitators, and survival strategies for GPs seeking treatment for distress: a qualitative study.

Background: GPs are under increasing pressure due to a lack of resources, a diminishing workforce, and rising patient demand. As a result, they may feel stressed, burnt out, anxious, or depressed.

Aim: To establish what might help or hinder GPs experiencing mental distress as they consider seeking help for their symptoms, and to explore potential survival strategies.

Implementation of teaching on LGBT health care.

Background: Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) patients represent an important proportion of the population. Despite the health inequalities and barriers to health care noted within this group, there is little evidence of LGBT-focused education within medicine, dentistry or nursing. We introduced and evaluated the effect of a half-day teaching session focused on LGBT health care, delivered to year-2 students.