Earlier this year, Mental Health Awareness Week focused on stress, with statistics showing that two thirds of us experience some form of mental health problem during our lifetime. The statistics provided by mentalhealth.org.uk were quite alarming: 74% of people have at some point felt so stressed that they felt overwhelmed or unable to cope.

In the GP Partnership Review report published on 2^nd October 2018, the major challenges identified in general practice include increased levels of stress, mental health problems and burnout. Therefore, it is no surprise that the numbers of GPs are declining.

We all know that the complexities associated with general practice make it a challenging environment to work in. It’s not only clinical staff who are feeling the pressure; it affects all staff members. But as we move towards the winter months, the level of pressure is only going to increase as the demand for primary care services increases.

There will be more pressure placed on GPs to work ‘out of hours’ or provide unscheduled care – i.e. care between 18:30–08:00 on weekdays or any time at weekends and bank holidays. Whilst the winter indemnity scheme offers financial support and covers the cost of indemnity for these periods, it places further pressure and stress on individual GPs.

So as we begin our approach to winter, it’s perhaps time to refresh our understanding of stress and how to recognise stress in others. A key point to remember is that stress isn’t an indication of weakness, but a natural response to sustained periods of increased pressure.

There are many links to support organisations on the NHS Moodzone website; this site provides a plethora of resources. In general practice, we all rely on each other and work as a team, so it’s important that we’re able to recognise stress in others. Signs of stress include:[1]

• A tendency to sweat more than usual or having a nervous twitch
• Smoking and/or drinking more than is normal
• Eating too many unhealthy foods or having no appetite

Changes in mood are also a signal that someone may be stressed. Consider the following:

• Are they losing their temper more quickly than usual?
• Are they constantly worrying about things?
• Have they suddenly lost their sense of humour or are they suffering from low self-esteem?
• Are they having difficulty focusing / concentrating?
• Are they having difficulty in making decisions or are they refusing to make key decisions?

These signs are by no means exhaustive and there are many others to look out for. But if you recognise these signs in a colleague, try and speak to them, offer them an ear – perhaps they just need to talk things through. You could encourage them to talk to their line manager or other organisations that may be able to help them.

The first step to feeling better is to encourage the individual to identify what’s causing them to be stressed. “You can’t control the wind, but you can adjust the sails” – iRise psychology.

[1] CABA – How to spot stress in others

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