Dear Editor,
Suicide is a set of actions to end life that a person consciously commits.[1] According to the studies of Yaghmour et al.,[2] suicide is the second leading cause of death in the USA. Also, the deaths of physician residents in Iran, which have occurred in recent years, have shocked both the public and the medical community.[3] Various risk factors, such as life events, drug use, financial stress, psychological problems, etc., cause suicidal thoughts in people.[4] Nowadays, the risk of suicide has increased in various job groups, especially in medical-related professions.[5] There are limited data on this topic. However, studies conducted show a higher prevalence of suicide attempts among doctors and nurses compared to the general population.[6] In addition, research shows that the prevalence of suicide among female doctors is higher than among male doctors.[7] Doctors in many specialties are under a lot of pressure and the influence of managers, patients, their own professionalism, and structural factors.[8] As the surveys show, the prevalence of anxiety disorders, mood disorder, and drug use among the medical population is higher than that among the general population. The presence of such factors can increase suicide motives in doctors. Also, among the population of doctors, the prevalence of suicidal thoughts and attempts is higher in general practitioners, family doctors, psychiatrists, and anesthesiologists than in other doctors.[9] Therefore, considering the importance of doctors’ position in society, to prevent the spread of suicidal acts among them, we need to identify doctors with mental problems. In addition, the society needs strategies and plans by the authorities to prevent suicide among doctors. As a result, planning should be aimed at reducing the rate of suicide in doctors by improving doctors’ working conditions, screening their mental health, and referring those at risk of suicide to specialists.
Authors’ contributions
OB and MRB contributed to the design and prepared the manuscript.
Ethical Considerations Code of Ethics
Not applicable.
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
References
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