Suicide in medical doctors and nurses: an analysis of the Queensland Suicide Register

Abstract

This study aimed to estimate the risk for suicide among medical doctors and nurses compared with the education professions and the general population and to describe the characteristics of their suicides. Suicide cases and rates in the age group of 25 to 64 years were analyzed using the Queensland Suicide Register (QSR) during 1990 to 2007. The male medical doctors had lower suicide rates than those of the male education professionals and significantly lower rates than those of the general population. The female medical doctors had significantly higher rates than those of the education professionals, but the rates were similar to those of the general population. Among the nurses, both sexes had significantly higher rates than those of the education professionals; however, their rates were similar to those of the general population. Poisoning was used significantly more often by the medical professionals (59.3%) and the nurses (44.1%) than by the education professionals (23.5%) and others (18.8%). Depression was more common in suicide of the medical doctors than the nurses, the education professionals, and others. Work-related problems were most prevalent for the medical doctors (18.5%) followed by the education professionals (16.5%).