Suicide amongst mental health professionals

[mandeh]

I am a Psychotherapy student and I am having difficulty finding information about suicide amongst mental health professionals.

Some years ago a member posted a message relating to the high rate of depression and suicide amongst Psychiatrists. Would anyone be able to point me in the right direction to find research or empirical data to support this position? My interest is in any of those involved in mental health as professionals or trainees. It would be so helpful if you could!

Many thanks,
Mandeh

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[irish80122]

I haven't heard of such research having been done, which doesn't mean it doesn't exist, but I have seen a lot of the research out there since suicide is my specialty (a very brief psych info search was also not promising). The problem is if you actually want to study completed suicides you need a very large sample size, perhaps 100,000 even, because it is a behavior that has such a low base-rate (thankfully only about 10-11 per 100,000)! It would be very large undertaking to study that many mental health professionals which also leads me to doubt that it has been done.

Since you saw it in the past I will try some psych info searches later if I have some time. However, if you do find it, pay close attention to their method as they may not be looking at completed suicide but rather suicide attempts or suicidal ideation, both of which are related but very different in my mind.

 

[mandeh]

Hi irish80122,

Thanks for replying to my query and for offering to check out some psych info searches, which would be very helpful if you get the chance. It really is proving to be a difficult area to investigate. Thanks also for drawing my attention to the piece about completed suicide and suicide attempts/suicidal ideation, although these aspects are still of interest.

By the way I am Irish and writing to you from Ireland!

 

[empathiosis]

Take a look at this article:
http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/161/12/2295

 

[mandeh]

hi empathiosis,

many thanks for that!
Mandeh

 

[irish80122]

That's cool I have never been to Ireland but have heard that it is a beautiful place.

Interesting article. I would probably look into the articles included in the meta-analysis just because I (at least) didn't have 25 articles jump out at me as being on physician suicide and I still worry about their Ns, but if they look good, then it is probably a good source since it is a meta-analysis which can help as far as sample size.

 

[mandeh]

Hi Empathiosis and irish80122,

the two of you have really helped in my search for relevant information. I have, indeed, been pointed in the right direction and when I finish the assignment I will post some of the articles/links that have emerged from this exercise which may in turn be helpful to others interested in this subject.

Mandeh