Suicide as an occupational hazard: high suicide rates among female doctors

Doctors have an increased risk of suicide, with women in medicine being particularly at risk.

Important findings on the risk of suicide in the medical profession:

Female doctors have a suicide rate almost twice as high as that of the female general population.
The suicide rate among male doctors is largely in line with that of the general population, but is higher than in other professions.
Over the last few decades, a decline in suicide rates for both subgroups can be seen, but the risk for female doctors remains significantly higher.

Gender-specific suicide risks: Female doctors particularly affected

Numerous social and environmental factors influence the risk of suicide, with occupation playing a particularly important role. Doctors are among the occupational groups at increased risk. A comprehensive meta-analysis has now examined suicide rates in this occupational group.

To do this, 39 studies from 20 countries published between 1960 and 2024 were evaluated. The sad conclusion: during this period, 3,303 suicides were recorded among male doctors and 587 among female doctors. The suicide risk in the medical profession was compared with that in the general population:

For male doctors, the risk was 1.05 and thus only slightly higher than that of the general population. However, compared to other occupations of similar socio-economic status, the risk was 1.81.
For female doctors, the risk was 1.76, significantly higher than for the female general population and higher than for their male colleagues.

This gender-specific difference suggests that female doctors face particular challenges and psychological stress that could be related to specific occupational factors.

Temporal and regional differences

An examination of the data from the last few decades shows a slight decline in suicide rates in both subgroups. However, this trend is less pronounced in women and varies greatly from region to region: for example, an Australian study found a significant increase in the suicide risk among female physicians, which doubled between 2001 and 2017.

Regional analyses show that the suicide risk among female physicians is highest in Western countries, particularly in the United States and Europe, while rates are lower in Asian countries. These differences may indicate various occupational stresses and societal conditions. However, it should be noted that geographical regions outside Europe, the USA and Australasia are underrepresented in the available data, which limits the significance of this meta-analysis.

Conclusion: preventive measures are urgently needed

The results of this meta-analysis highlight the urgent need for targeted preventive measures to support doctors. A systematic review of mental illness in this occupational group has shown that individual and organisational measures are needed to promote mental health in the workplace.

There is an urgent need for action, particularly with regard to the increased risk of suicide among female doctors. Given that the proportion of female doctors in all Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries is now on average 50% (as of 2021), greater psychosocial support for this increasingly female professional group is essential. In the long term, this is crucial to reduce the high suicide rates in the medical profession.

Source

Zimmermann C, Strohmaier S, Herkner H, Niederkrotenthaler T, Schernhammer E. Suicide rates among physicians compared with the general population in studies from 20 countries: gender stratified systematic review and meta-analysis BMJ 2024; 386 :e078964 doi:10.1136/bmj-2023-078964