Abstract
Medicine has been the deadliest profession in the United States for decades as physicians continuing dying by suicide at rates twice the general population. The problem is difficult to study and much attention has been paid to individual risk and resilience factors. However, occupational risk factors, obsolete definitions of health, and inconsistent regulation provide powerful disincentives to physician health and wellness that must be addressed if this tragic statistic is to change. Employers, licensing authorities, credentialing bodies, and physician advocacy organizations all have a role to play in improving the health of physicians and the practice of medicine. Standardization of regulatory practice in a manner consistent with the gains made by the Americans with Disability Act would be an important step in the process of improving physician health without sacrificing public safety. Physician advocacy organizations also have a role to play in providing or facilitating best practices in physician peer support, consistent and fair regulatory practices, and facilitation change in occupational factors related to impaired physician health and physician death by suicide.
Highlights
Research ArticleDates: Received: 11 April, 2016; Accepted: May, Physician Death by Suicide: 2016; Published: May, 2016 *Corresponding author: Tracy D
Physicians are two to three times more likely to die by suicide than members of the general population and are more likely to die by suicide than other professionals [6,7]
While many researchers have focused on acknowledged intentional self-injury, it may be time to analyze all self-inflicted deaths to look for clues about risk-taking behavior and suicide in physicians
Summary
Dates: Received: 11 April, 2016; Accepted: May, Physician Death by Suicide: 2016; Published: May, 2016 *Corresponding author: Tracy D. While sometimes noted to be inflexible, they may display highly desirable traits such as perfectionism, idealism, and empathy [33,35] When these personality factors combine with long hours and conflicted family relationships, physicians may be more vulnerable to the effects of life stresses than their situated professional peers [15]. They more likely suffer substance use and mood disorders, as well as medical problems, for which they typically both blame and treat themselves [11,33]. Why would physician-patients and physician-providers be hesitant to engage in the above listed best practices?
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