by: Dr. Mary Gillis, D.Ed.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – #Suicide among #doctors is a growing public health crisis as data shows 1 in 15 #doctors have either thought about or even gone so far as to plan how they are going to take their own life. 

#James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleOrder your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife:From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

www.celebratingyourgiftoflife.com

In a new study, scientists at the University of California San Diego Health reviewed death investigations from 200 cases of #physician suicides between 2003 and 2018. 

The files showed five factors that contributed most to #suicide: A sharp decline in physical health to a degree they can’t work, struggles with a #substanceabusedisorder, overwhelming #mental #stress on the job, legal problems, and increased #financial #stress. 

“We often overlook the physical health of our #healthcareworkers, but poor health can lead to difficulty performing tasks at work, which then leads to job #stress and #mentalhealthissues,” lead study author, Dr. Kristen Kim, said in a news release. “The unspoken culture of medicine encourages self-sacrifice, deferred needs, and delayed rewards. We always want to put our patients first, but healers cannot optimally heal unless they themselves are first whole.”

Kim goes on to say there is still a lot of work to be done in this area, but identifying and acknowledging the problem is a good first step toward a solution.
https://standingabovethecrowd.com/?p=10413