@article{ref1,
title="Physician death by suicide in the United States: 2012-2016",
journal="Journal of psychiatric research",
year="2020",
author="Ye, Gordon Y. and Davidson, Judy E. and Kim, Kristen and Zisook, Sidney",
volume="134",
number="",
pages="158-165",
abstract="Reports of incidence of physician suicide in the United States (US) are outdated. The aims of this research were to assess incidence, methods, and associated risk  factors of physicians compared to non-physicians in the general US population. Retrospective suicide data (victim age 25 and over) from the 2012-2016 National  Violent Death Reporting System were analyzed to test for differences in rates,  methods, and risk factors of male and female physicians to non-physicians. The  dataset included 498 physician suicides (403 males and 95 females) and 74,420  non-physicians (57,188 males and 17,232 females). No significant difference was  found in suicide incidence between gender and age-adjusted physicians vs. non-physicians, though the female physician rate of suicide appeared higher than  female non-physicians. The male to female physician ratio of suicide was about 2:1,  whereas the ratio in non-physicians was closer to 4:1. Female physicians used  poisoning and hanging most often as a method of suicide, where males used firearms. Depressed mood (as perceived by self or others), mental health problems (defined by  a diagnosis of depression, a prescribed antidepressants or toxicology report of  antidepressants), poor general medical health, and work-related stressors were more  frequently associated with physician than with non-physician suicides. In  conclusion, results suggest a possible heightened risk to female physicians, which  warrants further investigation. Several physician-specific modifiable suicide risk  factors present opportunities for prevention.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0022-3956",
doi="10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.12.064",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.12.064"
}