Forced Retirement a Major Factor in Physician Suicides
Forced retirement is a major factor when it comes to physician suicides, according to a study by Dr Kristin Kim and colleagues. Physicians also neglect to discuss physical health concerns as work stressors, the authors noted, but these are still detrimental to wellbeing – especially when it renders physicians unable to work.
The study was published in the journal Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior.
“Medicine must dispel the myth of never-ill physicians who place the needs of their patients before their own to the detriment of their own health.”
Kim et al., 2022
While physicians are known to be more likely than non-physicians to experience work-related stressors prior to suicide, the specific nature of these stressors was not known. The present study therefore aimed to better characterise job-related problems prior to physician suicide.
Using a mixed methods approach, researchers combined thematic analysis and natural language processing to develop themes representing death investigation narratives of 200 physician suicides with implicated job problems in the National Violent Death Reporting System database between 2003 and 2018.
The thematic analysis identified six overarching themes: incapacity to work due to deterioration of physical health, substance use jeopardising employment, interaction between mental health and work-related issues, relationship conflict affecting work, legal problems leading to work-related stress, and increased financial stress. Natural language processing analysis confirmed five of these themes and elucidated important subthemes.
Clinicians often neglect physical health when identifying work stressors, but poor physical health affects work performance and increases work stress, the authors said, noting that legal and psychological supports, particularly during malpractice investigations and “fit for duty” evaluations, are sorely needed.
“Medicine must dispel the myth of never-ill physicians who place the needs of their patients before their own to the detriment of their own health,” the researchers wrote.
First author Kristen Kim, MD, told Medpage Today that she hopes that this research will help physicians “give ourselves permission to attend to those needs … to prevent the dire consequences that we may see.”
The findings highlight the importance of bolstering systemic support for physicians experiencing job problems associated with their physical and mental health, substance use, relationships, legal matters, and finances in suicide prevention efforts.
