Suicide among healthcare workers: Risk factors, prevention, and challenges

Mental health disorders, contributing considerably to the global disease burden, have seen a marked increase due to urbanization, economic challenges, and the COVID-19 pandemic. These disorders, encompassing a spectrum from anxiety to schizophrenia, significantly impact individuals’ cognitive, emotional, and functional capacities, while also straining societal resources through reduced workforce productivity and escalated healthcare costs. There  […]

Suicide and mental illness amongst the medical profession

This paper highlights the critical issue of mental health and suicide risk among doctors amidst healthcare system challenges. Despite job security, doctors face a heightened risk of mental health problems and suicide, exacerbated by various factors including profession-related traits and burnout. Stigma and professional fears hinder support-seeking. The paper emphasizes the need for systemic changes, […]

“Quite simply they don’t communicate”: A case study of a National Health Service response to staff suicide

Workplace suicide can have significant knock-on effects within an organisation, yet research has shown within the healthcare profession, not all staff receive suicide prevention training, and few employers take the time to reflect on the need to change workplace policies or practices following the death of a staff member to suicide. How staff suicide is […]

Exploring the operational status and challenges of community-based mental healthcare centers in Taiwan: A qualitative analysis of healthcare professionals’ insights

Psychological disorders have become more prevalent in the presence of modernization and societal changes. Community-based mental health is important in healthcare. Taiwan has passed the Mental Health Act, and county governments have established community-based mental healthcare centers. This study aimed to fill the research gap regarding the operational status of these centers. A qualitative study […]

Depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation in health professionals during the coronavirus pandemic

Objective: to analyze the predictors of depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation in health professionals exposed to the coronavirus in Brazil. Methodology: a quantitative and crosssectional study to analyze predictors of depression and suicidal ideation in health professionals exposed to the coronavirus, derived from the matrix study entitled “Mental health diagnoses of health professionals assisting suspected […]

Remote crisis intervention and suicide risk management in COVID-19 frontline healthcare workers

Introduction: Despite the propagation of virtual mental health services for vulnerable groups during COVID-19 pandemic, the implementation and evaluation of remote evidence-based practices (EBP) to manage them in low- and middle-income countries remains scarce. In the current study, we describe and evaluate the implementation process and clinical impact of brief, remote, manualized EBP for crisis intervention […]

Employee attitudes toward suicide prevention and Counseling on Access to Lethal Means: Initial findings from an academic medical center implementing the Zero Suicide framework

Introduction: Zero Suicide is a strategic framework designed to transform a healthcare system’s suicide prevention activities. In 2020, University of Utah Health launched a Zero Suicide program and Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM) training for its employees. In 2022, the healthcare system surveyed its workforce’s attitudes toward suicide prevention and CALM. We sought to […]

The effects of social media addiction, psychological distress, and loneliness on suicide ideations and attempts among healthcare professionals in Saudi Arabia

Introduction: Recently, there has been an alarming increase in psychological distress in many populations. One of the reasons can be attributed to the rapid development of technology and social media, which could adversely affect the mental health of individuals, including those working in healthcare. This study aimed to assess the influence of social media addiction, […]

Suicide among young people in Ukraine and Estonia: Interdisciplinary study of the problem in the system of legal relations “doctor-patient-pharmacist-lawyer”

The study presents an interdisciplinary study focusing on the critical issue of suicide among young people in two European countries, Ukraine, and Estonia. The research aims to shed light on the multifaceted nature of the problem by exploring the complex interactions within the system of legal relations involving the key stakeholders: doctors, patients, pharmacists, and […]

Cancer patients’ mental health distress and suicidality: Impact on oncology healthcare workers and coping strategies

Background: A substantial number of people with cancer endorse suicidality when compared with the general population. Thus, oncology healthcare workers may experience the death of a patient to suicide over their careers. Aims: To explore the impact of patients’ mental health distress and suicidality on oncology personnel with a secondary aim of exploring how personnel cope with these […]

Should suicide risk assessment be embedded in undergraduate dental curricula?

Aims and objectives The aim of this Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle was to establish if undergraduate students believe they have a role to play in suicide risk assessment, and to discuss the implementation of suicide risk prevention into the undergraduate dental curriculum. Data gathered informed development of a subsequent suicide risk assessment educational workshop. Methodology An online questionnaire was […]

Suicide mortality among physicians, dentists, veterinarians, and pharmacists as well as other high-skilled occupations in Austria from 1986 through 2020

Some evidence puts health professionals at increased risk of suicide, especially females, whereas other research suggests a lower risk in high-skilled occupations. This study investigated the suicide risk of four health professions (physicians, dentists, veterinarians, pharmacists) and three other high-skilled occupations (notaries, lawyers, tax advisors/public accountants) in Austria compared to the general population, and analyzed […]

Suicide risk and associated factors in healthcare workers seeking psychological support during COVID-19: A cross-sectional study

Healthcare workers have been one of the groups most severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving them with serious psychological effects. Some of these effects have not been treated promptly, leading to further psychological symptoms. The objective of this study was to evaluate suicide risk in healthcare workers seeking psychological help during the COVID-19 pandemic, […]

Facing a patient who seeks help after a suicide attempt: The difficulties of health professionals

Background: Although intervention with suicidal patients is one of the hardest tasks in clinical practice, little is known about health professionals’ perceptions about the difficulties of working with suicidal patients. Aims: The aims of this study were to: (1) describe the difficulties of professionals facing a suicidal patient; (2) analyze the differences in difficulties according to the […]

Results of the COVID‑19 mental health international for the health professionals (COMET‑HP) study: depression, suicidal tendencies and conspiracism

Introduction The current study aimed to investigate the rates of anxiety, clinical depression, and suicidality and their changes in health professionals during the COVID-19 outbreak. Materials and methods The data came from the larger COMET-G study. The study sample includes 12,792 health professionals from 40 countries (62.40% women aged 39.76 ± 11.70; 36.81% men aged 35.91 ± 11.00 and […]

Ethical issues found in healthcare providers in suicide prevention in Indonesia

The suicide rate is increasing and gaining attention in several developed countries, but in most developing countries, it is often ignored. Society should have a valve that can withstand various problems that occur in the community. The valve is a family. There has been a deterioration in family function in recent years. The existence of […]

Factors related to psychological distress in suicide prevention supporters during the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose: Psychological distress and related factors in suicide prevention supporters during the COVID-19 pandemic were clarified. Methods: A web-based survey for supporters from helplines or psychiatric institutions was conducted from May to July 2021. It included items about profession, stress and anxiety, and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. Results: 818 participants were analyzed. Psychological distress […]

The psychological distress and suicide-related ideation in hospital workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: Second results from repeated cross-sectional surveys

The COVID-19 pandemic has been affecting the mental health of hospital workers. During the prolonged pandemic, hospital workers may experience much more severe psychological distress, leading to an increased risk of suicide. This study aimed to investigate changes in psychological effects on hospital workers over 12 months from the beginning of the pandemic and clarify […]

Rising health problem of Türkiye, healthcare professionals’ suicides in media

It is known that the risk of suicide increases in professionals who are frequently exposed to intensive and stressful working conditions. Health professionals may be susceptible to depression and suicide due to occupational stressors besides risk factors such as violence against healthcare professionals, mobbing and burnout. However, it is noteworthy that there is no institutional […]

“I want to be stepping in more”: Professional online forum moderators’ experiences of supporting individuals in a suicide crisis

Introduction: Individuals experiencing suicidal crises increasingly turn to online mental health forums for support. Support can come from peers but also from online moderators, many of whom are trained health professionals. Much is known about users’ forum experiences; however, the experiences of professional moderators who work to keep users safe has been overlooked. The beneficial nature […]

Violations of suicide-prevention guidelines in US media coverage of physician’s suicide death during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: Healthcare workers are at elevated risk for suicide; though it has yet to be studied, this risk may be exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. News media coverage of high-profile suicide is associated with an increased risk of subsequent suicides. No analysis has yet been published of US media practices for reporting on healthcare worker suicides […]

A global call for action to prioritize healthcare worker suicide prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond

The mental health sequelae of the COVID-19 pandemic have far-reaching consequences globally. As front-liners and first responders, healthcare workers are an at-risk population in terms of psychological distress and suicidal behavior. Healthcare worker suicide risk may be exacerbated by preexisting or emergent mental health conditions, occupational hazards, structural gaps in organizational systems, and socioeconomic factors. […]

A systematic review into healthcare professionals’ attitudes towards self-harm in children and young people and its impact on care provision

Self-harming behaviours in children and young people are an alarming reality, with provision of effective treatment historically compromised. The present systematic literature review highlights attitudes displayed by healthcare professionals towards this health problem, providing valuable insight by analysing how these attitudes can impact patient care. Ten studies were included, allowing creation of a narrative synthesis […]