[Psychosocial and socio-medical problems in the medical profession]

Under conditions of contemporary highly developed medicine and allied disciplines of the new scientific concept of health care it is essential that doctors and other health workers should be harmoniously developed personalities. One of the main characteristics of such a personality is the overall health potential. Doctors should not only propagate a healthy lifestyle but should in this respect serve as an example. Unfortunately in many instances paradoxical behaviour in relation to their own health is found. The problem of health protection of doctors must be conceived comprehensively not only in conjunction with the general social environment but also in conjunction with his specific working environment. In the contemporary medical literature in the world we encounter in connection with investigations of health protection, and in particular the morbidity of doctors and other health workers, the term morbus medicus. This involves a complicated and specific complex of factors ensuing from the complexity of the medical profession and its risks which does not cause specific but nevertheless increased sequelae in certain areas of morbidity. At present the majority of occupations is associated with neuropsychic stress. In the medical profession neuropsychic stress is much greater than in other occupations. Therefore prevention of negative stress in the medical profession must ensue from an endeavour to neutralize these negative factors - i.e. to create optimal working conditions and optimal interpersonal relations, and from improving the standard of the personality profile of doctors.