Suicide among Indian doctors

BACKGROUND: India has one of the largest numbers of doctors in the world. It is estimated that more than 1 million doctors are in India. Every year more than 80,000 medical students graduate as doctors from 529 medical colleges in India. Medical profession is considered as more stressful, but mental health is still a subject of taboo in medical profession in Indian context. Doctors have higher suicide risk, 2.5 times more than the general population. In the United Kingdom, 430 doctors committed suicide between the years 2011 and 2015. Even though suicide among doctors is reported in Indian media, there is hardly any scientific study that has looked into the suicide among Indian doctors because of many hurdles in the collection of information. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All the Indian newspaper that are published in English and are available in the online platform were scrutinized on doctors suicide report from the year 2016 March to 2019 March. RESULTS: Thirty suicides were reported between 2016 March and 2019 March, out of which 18 were female and 12 male. More than 80% were younger than 40 years. Twenty-two were from medical education institutions. Seventeen were from south India and 13 from North India. Eight were MBBS students and ten were postgraduate students. Among subspecialties, six doctors were from Anesthesia. Seventeen used hanging as a method for suicide, eight used medications, and five jumped from building to end life. Nineteen of suicide reports about doctors mentioned that they were depressed. CONCLUSION: Suicide among Indian doctors is concern. Majority are young undergraduate and postgraduate medical students. Female doctors were more than male doctors. Most doctors were reported to be depressed and used lethal method such as hanging and medications.