The American Medical Association has introduced a policy advocating for the removal of irrelevant mental health information in the licensing and credentialing process at its annual meeting.
This policy was developed in response to initial and renewal applications for medical licenses and associated applications asking physicians to disclose current or past mental health conditions, according to a June 14 report from the AMA.
The AMA is arguing that such questions could create additional stigma around mental health in the medical field and could prevent physicians from seeking treatment, despite data from the American Psychiatric Association showing no evidence that physicians who are treated for mental illness are more likely to harm a patient than physicians who have not sought treatment.
Read the full list of policy suggestions here.