Towards a model of suicidal behavior among physicians

Suicide is a disproportionate cause of death for physicians relative to both the general population and other professionals 1 . Death by suicide is about 70 percent more likely among male physicians in the U.S. than among other professionals, and 250-400 percent higher among female physicians. About 300-400 physicians, the equivalent of at least one entire medical school class, commit suicide in the U.S. every year. A recent international systematic review suggests that physicians' relative suicide risk is 1.1 to 3.4 for men and 2.5 to 5.7 for women when the rates are compared with those for the general population and at 1.5 to 3.8 for men and 3.7 to 4.5 for women when the rates are compared with those for other professionals 1 . In all reviewed studies the suicide rates among physicians were higher than those in the general population and among other academic occupational groups.