A study found U.S. female physicians have a 53% higher suicide rate than women non-physicians. Male physicians, meanwhile, have a lower suicide rate than other men.
A recent study found significant differences in suicide rates between female physicians and women in the general population.
The study revealed that female physicians in the U.S. are 53% more likely to die by suicide compared to women non-physicians.
In contrast, male physicians have a lower suicide rate than men in the general population.
Amanda Choflet, dean of Northeastern University’s School of Nursing, co-authored the study, which analyzed physician suicide data from the National Violent Death Reporting System.
The research is part of a broader effort to explore how suicide trends in the medical field differ from those in the general population.
A total of 621 physicians and 136,689 members of the public died by suicide in the U.S. from 2017 to 2021 across all states with complete reporting to the National Violent Death Reporting System. To consistently evaluate trends, the study focused on data from 30 states and the District of Columbia for persons over age 24.
The study found that female physicians had a 53% higher suicide risk than female non-physicians.
In contrast, male physicians had a 16% lower suicide risk than male non-physicians over the same period.
The researchers initially anticipated fluctuations in suicide rates in 2021 due to COVID-19, but the data actually showed higher rates before the pandemic. From 2017-2019, female physicians had a 65% higher risk of dying by suicide.
“The numbers are consistently elevated,” Choflet says.
“Is there something different going on for health professionals,” she says, “that maybe would be actionable? We think there are some differences just based on the findings so far.”
Beyond sex disparities, the study also revealed significant contrasts in age and racial demographics. Physicians who died by suicide had an average age of 60, notably older than the general population’s average of 51 years.
Additionally, while white physicians accounted for over 80% of physician suicides, they made up just 57% of the physician workforce in 2022, exposing another stark discrepancy.
The study also identified possible risk factors preceding physician suicides. Physicians were more likely to experience known depression, legal issues, mental health struggles and work-related stress before their deaths.
“There’s always a combination of external and internal pressures,” Choflet says.
Although the data does not provide insight into individual circumstances, Choflet suggests that stigma within the medical profession, particularly around mental health, plays a significant role in these trends.
Outdated regulations may further exacerbate the issue, discouraging medical professionals from seeking help for fear of losing their licenses.
“In the health professions, if you lose your license, you could lose your house, you could lose food on the table, you could lose access to a profession that frequently defines your self-identity,” she says.
The research team is planning to expand their work by conducting interviews with individuals who have engaged in suicidal behaviors to better understand both risk and protective factors.
Additionally, they aim to study hospital-based workers such as patient care technicians, custodial staff and food service employees — workers who, though not regulated by state boards, may still experience trauma in their workplace.
“It’s great to know things. It’s much better to know things that can point you in a direction to mitigate harm,” Choflet says.