Job stress and suicidal ideation among Chinese clinicians: The moderating role of social support

Abstract

In recent years, suicidal behavior among doctors has gained increasing research attention. The main effects of job stress and social support on suicidal ideation (SI) have been publicly documented, but their interactive effects on SI have not been well studied, particularly among clinicians of county hospitals in China. A cross-sectional study with a sample of 352 clinicians of county hospitals in Guangxi was thus conducted, measuring their SI, job stress, and social support. Results indicated that 56 (15.9%) individuals reported SI during the previous week, with males accounting for 6.8% and females 9.1%. Job stress was positively correlated with SI, whereas family, friend, and colleague supports were negatively correlated with SI. Multiple hierarchical regression analysis showed that colleague support was a significant moderator on the relationship between job stress and SI among clinicians, but family and friend supports were not. In conclusion, SI among clinicians of county hospitals is common and should become a target of prevention. Perceived support from colleagues is more important than that from family and friends in alleviating the influence of job stress on SI. The results also suggested that social support programs encouraging the participation of superiors and colleagues may be greatly effective in the prevention of clinicians’ stress and SI.