Two seasons in one day: talking about psychiatrists’ welfare in different stages of our professional lives

Background: Psychiatrists are vulnerable to experiencing burnout due to factors such as patient violence, suicide, limited resources, high work demand, responsibility without authority, conflict between responsibility toward employers and toward the patient, and professional isolation. Poor psychiatrist welfare is associated with negative effects on patient care and professionalism and can present a threat to the viability of the health-care systems. Objectives: This session aims to present some empirical information and personal views about the challenges and difficulties associated with maintaining welfare in different professional stages. By sharing our stories, we aim to increase the awareness of the topic and promote active consideration of personal and systemic actions that can be taken to improve the welfare of psychiatrists. Methods: A trainee psychiatrist (spring), a mid-career psychiatrist (summer), a later-career psychiatrist (autumn), and an eminent psychiatrist (winter) will integrate evidence from the literature with their own perspectives on welfare-related issues in psychiatry. The audience will be invited to participate in a 30-min panel discussion with the presenters after the individual presentations. Findings: Welfare issues are common in all stages of psychiatry. Some challenges may be unique to a particular stage, while others may be universal to all stages. They may also present with varying levels of severity and impact. There are significant personal, professional, and community consequences when these issues are neglected. There are many potential solutions to increase well-being and to overcome or reduce the burden of welfare-related distress. Conclusions: Promoting the welfare of psychiatrists is of upmost importance at a personal, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists and systemic level.