Results and Implications of the AMA-APA Physician Mortality Project: Stage II

Comprehensive interviews were conducted with surviving relatives & friends of 142 physicians who died by suicide & 101 physicians who died of other causes, with the latter group serving as a control sample. Bivariate relationships were found between several variables & risk for suicide, & all were examined in a multivariate framework. A preliminary profile of the suicides showed that they more often made prior attempts, verbalized their intentions, & self-prescribed psychoactive drugs. (13 refs)