Year: 1985 Source: American Journal of Psychiatry, v.142, no.10, (October 1985), p.1225 SIEC No: 19870120

Anesthesiology as a medical specialty has a higher suicide rate than both the general population and other medical specialties and more than twice that of a comparable socioeconomic group. An examination of 192 lawsuits over 11 years involving 185 of the almost 400 anesthesiologists in the state of Washington revealed 4 suicides. This subgroup represents an especially high-risk group warranting the special attention of professional caregivers. Research is urged to determine its etiology.