KU School of Medicine-Wichita

8 "Yoga alone is not going to address the problem," Ablah said. "At an individual level, it is best when an employer supports employees to make decisions and have authority over the work they do." WorkWellKS collaborates with cities, counties, school districts and health organizations. It's consulted residency programs, where the ideal of medicine can conflict with the business of medicine. "After medical school, a lot of folks think that by moving into the adult role as physicians they are going to have a lot more control," Ablah said. "So we're helping residents to not just manage stress but to identify mechanisms to change organizational structures. That is stress you can change or modify." Caring for the caregivers Some physicians in the state get assistance from KSKidsMAP, a program providing primary care doctors knowledge and tools to treat the often-complex mental health needs of young patients. One program pillar is wellness, an acknowledgment that treating mental illness, as Klaus put it, "creates a unique emotional burden on the clinician that may weigh on them more than treating a child with an ear infection." contribute, too — but they are one approach to the pressure cooker medicine can be, from testing to residency match to practice. Another emphasis is connections. That can include leaning on one's faith or stressing the value of "authentic relationships" — those close friends you call when you have a problem or joy, as opposed to the hundreds of "friends" on social media. KUSM-Wichita's approach is preventive care, designed to provide help long before stress and depression fester to where hotlines and crisis care come into play. Prevention and improvement are the focus of WorkWellKS. Led by Elizabeth Ablah, Ph.D., MPH, professor in the Department of Population Health, the workplace initiative oers expertise and support to employers through workshops and other resources. At the heart — WorkWellKS insists upon it — is employers committing to consider systemic change. Employees may need flexible schedules, child care, addiction counseling or other changes or support to make work and life easier to manage. Increasingly, they're asked to help with mental health. Getting ahead of the problem Right from the start, at orientation, medical students learn about taking care of themselves so they can better take care of others. They're given resources to personal counseling. "The sessions can be in person or virtual. It's free of charge with unlimited visits. No names are reported to the school. Students have a direct line to a psychiatrist, and there is a phone number for after-hours services," said Ofei-Dodoo, an author of a study on medical student burnout. A workout room. Online yoga. In-person yoga with kittens to pet. Horse riding. Visits from Rosie the Rabbiter, a therapy bunny. They're among the things provided to students, faculty and sta to improve mental and physical health. All help "students deal with the 'noise and craziness' associated with demanding schedules in medical training," Ofei-Dodoo said. Isolation, stress and feeling a loss of control are among factors contributing to burnout and diminished mental health. Ofei-Dodoo noted wellness activities alone don't reduce burnout — institutional factors like hospitals, time pressures and electronic health records If you need help • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, available 24 hours a day: 1-800-273-8255. • Sedgwick County 24-hour Community Crisis Center: 316-660-7500. • Crisis Text Line: Text "HOME" to 741741 to reach a volunteer crisis counselor 24 hours a day or go to crisistextline.org. • The Kansas Suicide Prevention Resource Center: ksphq.org/resourcecenter/. Academic & Student Aairs oers a variety of wellness activities for students, from kitten yoga to climbing, kayaking and visiting with Rosie the Rabbiter.

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