Suicide among doctors refers to physicians or similar health care providers committing suicide.
Contents
Studies report that physicians are more likely to commit suicide than the general population and even people with similar academic training who are not physicians.
The suicide mortality rate ("completion") is about the same among male and female doctors, and significantly higher than the general population. Female physicians are at higher risk of attempting suicide than men, showing rates over 250% higher among women and about 70% higher among men versus the general population.
Medical students
A 1999 paper reported that even though there is agreement that being a doctor increases a person's risk of suicide, there is little research on the risk of suicide among medical students.
Response
Physicians who seek help for suicidal ideation often face professional punishments including risk of having their medical license revoked, future barriers to career advancement, and restrictions on professional privileges. Some professional organizations recommend that health organizations reform policy to allow physicians who want counseling to be able to access it with fewer professional penalties.