[The vulnerable clinician: hidden anxieties in psychiatric practice].

BACKGROUND

Professional anxieties in psychiatric practice are often insufficiently recognized and infrequently discussed, despite their potentially significant impact on the quality of care.

AIM: To examine these less visible forms of anxiety and their influence on professional functioning.

METHOD: A narrative review based on relevant literature and clinical observations from psychotherapeutic practice.

RESULTS

A typology of five categories of professional anxiety is identified: fear of making mistakes, fear of powerlessness, fear of aggression, system-related fears, and existential anxiety. These anxieties appear closely intertwined with defensive medicine, professional isolation, and an increased risk of burnout – factors that generally do not contribute to patient safety.

CONCLUSION

Articulating and discussing professional uncertainty is essential for fostering an environment of psychological safety. A layered approach – at the individual, team, and organizational levels – is necessary to acknowledge these anxieties without pathologizing them.