In May researchers published the results of a sweeping study on the deaths of U.S. physicians. Appearing in the journal Academic Medicine,the study gathered data on more than 380,000 resident physicians—doctors who graduated from medical school and were training in their chosen specialties—between 2000 and 2014. The authors identified 324 resident deaths during that time period and compared them with data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Death Index.
Cancer was the most common cause of death among residents, although at lower rates than people of similar age and gender in the general population. Meanwhile, suicide was the second-leading cause of resident death—and the most common cause of death among male residents.
We’ve known for some time that doctors are dying by suicide. Over the last few years, suicides among U.S. doctors have stirred national discussion. In leading academic journals mental health experts have sought to address suicides among physicians and medical trainees. Media outlets have added coverage with headlines like “Why Do Doctors Commit Suicide?” and “The Hidden Epidemic of Doctor Suicides.” Pamela Wible, a family physician, gave a […]
The suicide issue is likely because doctors are investing more emotion in patient outcome. If this is the case, more emotional investment may also be a driver of greater successful patient outcomes too. Unfortunately, some types of doctor see more death even than our modern military, and in circumstances in which they were working for, rather than against, the other person’s survival. To a doctor, death is failure, not success, and they are surrounded by it. Though death is both natural and inevitable, doctors bear the responsibility for it, often unfairly.
Rather than a shortage of doctors, I envision a world in which people eat wisely, drink primarily water, and walk more drive. As we shirk the conveniences and luxuries that are killing us, we would naturally need fewer doctors. Here’s the problem: health and healthy lifestyles provide for us and our families, but there’s no profit in it for others. This means industries will work against our health, and the governments they influence will make health and healthy lifestyles more difficult.
Given the massive number of deaths due to medical errors…fewer doctors is likely a positive thing. However, I think we can help doctors manage their mental health better so they don’t feel the need to end their lives..this is sad and I did not know it was such a significant problem.