Mental Well-Being

For acute distress and immediate help, select the ‘Help Now’ link.
As residents, you and your immediate family have full access to the Alberta Medical Association’s Physician and Family Support Program (PFSP). This program provides confidential, physician to physician support, 24/7/365. Call 1-877-767-4637. Check out this series of short videos outlining the range of services provided, and highlighting the process for seeking assistance.
On the PFSP website you will also find physician health resources including articles on topics such as addiction, dealing with adverse events/complaints/medical-legal litigation, relationships, stress/fatigue, and workplace/career issues.
- Please note that services through the PFSP are completely voluntary, confidential, and free to all medical students, residents, staff physicians, and their immediate family members.

Understanding Grief
Grief Support Services - Calgary offers grief counselling, either individually or via support groups, as well as bereavement education sessions. Call 403-955-8011 Monday to Friday, 8:30-4:00 to request services.
The Centre for Loss out of Colorado offers articles, books, and workshops for those who are grieving, or those supporting another through grief.
The Calgary Pregnancy and Infant Loss Program – Grief Support provides information about processes, events, articles, and websites related to pregnancy and infant loss.

EPhysician Health is “the world’s first comprehensive, online physician health and wellness resource that helps physicians, residents and medical students be resilient in their professional and personal lives” (from the website description).
From the American Academy of Family Physicians, this list of articles is written by physicians for physicians on various topics (e.g. Work in OB care and life balance, blending work and family, relationships).
Formerly CAIR, the Resident Doctors of Canada is the national voice of resident physicians in Canada. On their website find helpful resources related to training, wellness, representation, research, and news applicable to residents.
Well Doc Alberta

The Mental Health Commission of Canada has developed The Working Mind as a tool to reduce stigma, and improve self-reflection of current mental health, and to help people realize when change or help is needed. Resident Doctors of Canada have developed a national Resiliency Curriculum based on this model.
The Canadian Mental Health Association offers articles to increase awareness of your mental health, and features this work-life balance quiz to gauge your level of balance, to help decide if changes are necessary.
The Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL) is the most commonly used measure of the negative and positive effects of helping others who experience suffering and trauma. The assessment has subscales for compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction, and is especially applicable to those in caring professions. Take 5 minutes to try it, and see where you stand.
From Mental Health America, many free self-assessments are available, such as the anxiety screening tool, and a depression screening tool.
From the University of California – Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Centre, various quizzes are available on emotional intelligence, empathy, relationships, trust, and more. Also, many great articles on mindfulness, work/life balance, and relationships are available on the main site.

Zen habits is a blog about mindfulness, organization, and smart productivity (among many other interesting things).
Free guided meditations via UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Centre (ranging in length from 5-20 minutes).
Audio and video file downloads of mindfulness based stress reduction practices via the UC San Diego Centre for Mindfulness (ranging in length from 10-45 minutes).
Links for guided meditation practice via Contemplative Mind in Life blog.
Streaming and downloads for guided meditations for mindful self-compassion, via Mindful Self-Compassion blog.