A study suggests medical errors, job burnout and depression lead surgeons to contemplate suicide at higher rates than the general public, and they're much less likely to seek help. Fear of losing their jobs contributes to surgeons' reluctance to get mental health treatment, according to the study. Nearly 8,000 surgeons participated.
About 6 percent reported recent suicidal thoughts; the rate was 16 percent among those who'd made a recent major medical error although it wasn't known if that was the reason.
Only about one-fourth of those with suicidal thoughts said they'd sought professional mental health treatment. By contrast, among the general population, about 3 percent have suicidal thoughts and 44 percent of them seek mental health treatment, other studies have shown.
The research didn't address specific reasons why they had contemplated suicide but strongly suggests depression, job burnout and medical errors were contributing factors. To a lesser extent, being unmarried, divorced and childless also were linked with contemplating suicide. Other factors also could have contributed to a risk for suicidal thoughts.Results published previously from the same survey showed almost 9 percent of participating surgeons said they'd made a recent major medical error. Overall, surgeons queried worked 60 hours per week on average; 40 percent felt burned out; and 30 percent had symptoms of depression. Most said their work left little time for personal and family life.
Read the whole article by Lindsey Tanner here.
