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Suicide in Healthcare Workers: An Umbrella Review of Prevalence, Causes, and Preventive Strategies.

Journal of primary care & community health
January 1, 2024
Lakshit Jain et al. (12 authors)
Journal ArticleSystematic ReviewHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to synthesize existing literature on healthcare worker suicide, including the effectiveness of interventions like mindfulness in reducing depression, psychological distress, and anxiety.

Results Summary

Mindfulness was found effective in decreasing depression, psychological distress, and anxiety among healthcare workers, though the abstract does not provide detailed statistical outcomes.

Population

Healthcare workers, including anesthesiologists and psychiatrists, with regional and specialty-specific variations noted.

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

Not specified

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (4)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
-
increase
burnout
anesthesiologists and psychiatrics
-
depicted higher rates
#1
-
increase
suicidal thoughts
psychiatric ward HCW
-
correlate directly with
#2
-
increase
suicide
female HCWs
-
showed a standardized mortality ratio (SMR), indicating that the rate was higher
#3
cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness
decrease
depression, psychological distress, and anxiety
-
-
effective in decreasing
#4
Abstract

BACKGROUND: The medical profession faces a critical challenge with the mental health of its practitioners, leading to an alarming increase in suicide rates among healthcare workers (HCW). Factors such as the culture of perfectionism, excessive workloads, and stigma against seeking help exacerbate this issue. This umbrella review synthesizes the existing literature on HCW suicide, exploring the prevalence, causes, and potential preventive strategies. METHODS: This study conducted a search of the literature from PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar until April 2, 2024. The non-exhaustive search terms used were "doctor suicide," "physician suicide," "medical professional suicide," "suicide in healthcare," "healthcare worker suicide prevention," and "causes of healthcare worker suicide." Hand-searches were also conducted. Of the 487 studies initially identified, a total of 10 systematic reviews/meta-analyses were included. RESULTS: This umbrella review collates findings from 400 primary clinical studies conducted between the years 2004 and 2023. With a focus on mental health factors contributing to suicide in HCW, there are regional and specialty-specific variations in stress prevalence in the populace. Further, anesthesiologists and psychiatrics depicted higher rates of burnout compared to other HCW; causative factors such as seeking perfection and challenging work-life balance were key when assessing suicidal behaviors in these groups. Job demand level was found to correlate directly with suicidal thoughts, specifically among psychiatric ward HCW, where access to drugs and sharp instruments is readily available. In specific contexts, female HCWs showed a standardized mortality ratio (SMR), indicating that the rate of suicide was higher among them as compared to the general female population. Interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness were effective in decreasing depression, psychological distress, and anxiety in several included studies. This umbrella review also identified major obstacles to seeking help, including stigma and the fear of professional consequences. CONCLUSION: To reduce suicide rates among HCWs, it is the need of the hour to implement evidence-based interventions and create supportive work environments that encourage mutual care for each other's emotional health. Further research is necessary to determine the effectiveness of various measures in preventing suicide among HCW.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
HumansHealth PersonnelSuicidePrevalenceBurnout, ProfessionalSuicide PreventionRisk FactorsFemale
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy75/10
Quality80/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations1
Citations/Year1.0
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.25
Weight Score2.60
Normalized Score0.66
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