Year: 2003 Source: Oslo, Norway: Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, (2003), 80p. SIEC No: 20090421

Only a small proportion of the large number of occupations have been the subject of empirical research on suicidal behaviour (suicidal ideation, suicide attempt and suicide). The largest number of studies has been conducted among physicians. Claims of high suicide rates among physicians have been made for decades. However, research on the incidence of suicide among physicians is marked by considerable debate. Comparisons between studies have often been difficult because of different methodologies, cultural differences, the quality of suicide statistics, etc. Suicidal behaviour in a specific occupation is supposed to be a result of a complex interaction between job factors such as work-related stress, access to suicide means, presence of mental disorders and self-selection by vulnerable individuals.