Physical and #mentalhealth, #substanceuse, #relationships, legal matters and #finances all contribute to #physician #suicide, UC San Diego study shows

Peer-Reviewed Publication

IMAGE: KRISTEN KIM, MD, IS A RESIDENT #PHYSICIAN IN PSYCHIATRY AT UC SAN DIEGO HEALTH. view more CREDIT: UC SAN DIEGO HEALTH SCIENCES

#Physician burnout and #suicide are a growing public health concern, with 1 in 15 #physicians experiencing #suicidalideation. Studies consistently show that #physicians are more likely than non-#physicians to experience work-related stressors prior to #suicide. Still, the exact nature of these stressors was unknown.

To better understand and characterize the job stressors that contribute to #physician #suicide, researchers at UC San Diego Health reviewed the death investigation narratives from 200 #physician suicides collected by a national database between 2003 and 2018. Using natural language processing and thematic analysis — tools for extracting and interpreting data from the reports — the team was able to identify the main issues contributing to physician job #stress and #suicide. 

The study, published June 29, 2022 in #Suicide and Life-Threatening #Behavior, found six overarching themes in the reports. These included an incapacity to work due to deterioration of physical health, substance use that was jeopardizing employment, the interaction between #mentalhealth and work-related issues, relationship conflicts affecting work, 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,” said corresponding author Kristen Kim, MD, a resident #physician in psychiatry at UC San Diego Health. 

The authors outlined several short- and long-term solutions for #healthcaresystems to consider. 

In the short-term, they stressed the need to improve physicians’ access to primary care services, minimize their scheduling challenges, and address their concerns about confidentiality. Kim encouraged #healthcareworkers to utilize resources like the UC San Diego Healer Education Assessment and Referral (HEAR) program, which provides access to confidential #mentalhealth counseling and was recently endorsed by the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on Health Worker Burnout.

In the long-term, the authors called for broader structural and cultural changes to address workplace stress and poor #physician #self-care.  

“The unspoken culture of medicine encourages self-sacrifice, deferred needs and delayed rewards,” said Kim. “We always want to put our #patients first, but healers cannot optimally heal unless they themselves are first whole.” 

The authors highlighted the importance of cultivating a sense of safety and community among #physicians. They also suggested that #healthcaresystems and medical #schools provide additional personal finance education and legal support. 

“There is a lot of work to be done,” said Kim, “but identifying and acknowledging the problem is always the first step towards a solution, and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

Co-authors include: Gordon Y. Ye, Nicholas Kos, Sidney Zisook and Judy E. Davidson at UC San Diego, as well as Angela Maria Haddad at Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara.

#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

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