Delaying Care, Avoiding Stigma: Residents' Attitudes Toward Obtaining Personal Health Care

PURPOSE: The authors sought to understand the health issues and care-seeking practices reported by residents and explored the extent to which fear of academic jeopardy, stigma, and being the subject of discussion by colleagues may affect residents' care-seeking. METHOD: Residents at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center were surveyed in 2000-2001 regarding avoidance or postponement of obtaining necessary health care, responses of others to absences, and perceptions of jeopardy to training status if a supervisor learned of a specific condition. Responses were analyzed via repeated-measures MANOVA. RESULTS: Of 217 surveys, 155 were returned (71% response rate). Concerns with mental health, pain, minor infections, or relationship, sleep-related, fatigue, or gynecological/urological problems were expressed by 26% to 43% of residents. Concerns of potential jeopardy if a director or supervisor learned about personal health issues were strongest for problems with drugs/alcohol, moderately high for HIV, and moderate for mental health, eating-related problems, cancer, and STDs. Residents had sometimes avoided seeking care, and 18% had often avoided or delayed care-seeking; women delayed or avoided care more often than men. More frequent avoidance of seeking care was associated with poorer self-rated mental and physical health and greater health concerns. CONCLUSIONS: Residents at times postpone or avoid seeking care. Time and scheduling difficulties influence the ability to obtain care. Perceptions of potential academic jeopardy, stigma, and reactions of colleagues may affect residents' attitudes and care-seeking. Further inquiry is essential to understand how extensively these factors may influence the well-being of residents.