JOURNAL ARTICLE

Suicide among health professionals in Australia: A retrospective mortality study of trends over the last two decades.

  • Published In: Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 2023, v. 57, n. 7. P. 983 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Petrie, Katherine; Zeritis, Stephanie; Phillips, Matthew; Chen, Nicola; Shand, Fiona; Spittal, Matthew J; Harvey, Samuel B 3 of 3

Abstract

This article examines the relative risk of suicide among healthcare professionals in Australia compared to other occupations between 2001 and 2017, using data from the National Coronial Information System and workforce data from the 2011 Census. The study found that healthcare professionals overall had a significantly increased risk of suicide (rate ratio [RR] = 1.30), with nurses and midwives at nearly double the risk (RR = 1.95) compared to other occupations, while other health professionals had a lower risk. Notably, suicide rates among female medical practitioners more than doubled over the study period, indicating a substantial and worsening trend unique to this group. The findings highlight the need for targeted, gender-sensitive suicide prevention initiatives within healthcare professions, particularly for nurses, midwives, and female medical practitioners.

Additional Information

  • Source:Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. 2023/07, Vol. 57, Issue 7, p983
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Psychology
  • Publication Date:2023
  • ISSN:0004-8674
  • DOI:10.1177/00048674221144263
  • Accession Number:164485014
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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