A Self-Monitoring Mobile App to Mitigate Risk Factors for Suicide and Self-Harm in Junior (Resident) Doctors: A Review, Thematic Analysis and Concept Proposal

Abstract

Doctors, particularly those in training in the UK, are exposed to high levels of stress in their work, which can lead to burnout and mental health problems. According to the health and safety executive (HSE) Management UK standards, employers should recognise and minimise work-related stress for staff. Our review looks to examine if known risk factors for suicide and self-harm in doctors align with the themes of the HSE management standards on stress control i.e., demand, control, support, relationships, role, and change and if so, could this be used to build a self-awareness digital application. Four research databases were searched using combinations of text words and thesaurus terms and predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria for relevant article retrieval. A thematic analysis was undertaken, aligning articles to their respective HSE standards. Twenty-six articles met the full inclusion criteria. 96.2% (25/26 papers) mentioned or aligned at least one of the HSE management standards, with 44% discussing three or more. Work-related risk factors for self-harm and suicide in doctors link well to the HSE management standards. We conceptualise a self-monitoring digital well-being tool for doctors to monitor stress.