Author | Maddy Pontius, BA

The relationship between depression and medical errors is bidirectional, meaning depressive symptoms may lead to more medical errors in practice and medical errors may lead to the development of or worsened depressive symptoms. In other words, physician well-being is critical to patient care.

In a recent workforce survey of more than 12,000 physicians across 29+ specialties, 50% of rheumatologists reported significant burnout or depression, making rheumatology the second-highest ranking field for burnout (after critical care).

Conversations assessing and responding to suicide risk with your patients destigmatizes suicide and mental illness while strengthening your skills as a provider.

Chronic pain and functional limitations, along with these academic and social difficulties, are directly related to mental health complaints. Therefore, adolescents with rheumatic diseases are at a higher risk for developing mental illness.

Caregivers are a rheumatologist's most important allies. Learn the warning signs of caregiver burnout and how to combat the symptoms. Remember: their health is prerequisite to patient care.

Mindfulness interventions teach and promote the use of psychological skills to improve quality of life among individuals with chronic conditions like rheumatic disease. These interventions largely act by reducing pain-related activation in the sensory cortex and increasing activity in the cingulate cortex, the area of the brain responsible for learning, memory, and processing bodily sensations, like pain.