Health Equity

Today, the Medical Society of the District of Columbia recognizes NPSA Day, or National Physician Suicide Awareness Day, as a reminder that physicians have one of the highest suicide rates of any profession. More than half of physicians and medical students, and nearly half of residents know of a physician or colleague or peer, respectively, who has ever considered, attempted or died by suicide. In a call to action, MSDC urges a focus on wellbeing-oriented actions and understanding the HEART vital signs so that physicians’ noble work and struggles do not become mental health emergencies.

The overall state of physician wellbeing remains low.

• For the fourth year in a row, six in ten physicians often have feelings of burnout, compared to four in ten before the pandemic in 2018.
• Nearly two-thirds of medical students report withdrawing from family/friends/co-workers, as well as 54% of residents and 38% of physicians.

MSDC President Dr. Ashesh Patel said, “We all have a role to play in preventing physician suicide.  Learn the suicide vital signs, check in with a physician, share suicide prevention resources, and together we can prevent physicians’ struggles from becoming crises. If you or a physician you know is in a crisis, please call 988!” 

Physician suicide can be addressed through individual and system actions to better support physician mental health and wellbeing.  On this day of action, it is important to know what to look out for and potential solutions to address the devastating impact of physician suicide.

VITAL SIGNS: WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Understand and note the warning signs of someone who may be suicidal. Vital signs can be summarized the HEART acronym:

Health
(Increasing the use of medications and/or alcohol or illicit drugs; Talking about wanting to hurt themselves or die)

Emotions
(Experiencing extreme mood swings; Feeling hopeless or having no purpose)

Attitude
(Being negative about professional and personal life; Having inappropriate outbursts of anger or sadness)

Relationships
(Withdrawing or isolating themselves from family, friends and coworkers; Talking about being a burden to others)

Temperament
(Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly; Being uncomfortable, tired or in unbearable pain)

SOLUTIONS TO BOOST WELLBEING AND REDUCE RISK OF PHYSICIAN SUICIDE

Burnout and barriers to care for current and future physicians can cause more cases of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and can lead to suicidal thoughts for physicians.  According to The Physicians Foundation, physicians, residents and students have identified what they need to improve their mental health and wellbeing. These include:

• Get mental health resources in the hands of current and future physicians
• Remove intrusive mental health questions from licensing and credentialing applications
• Take action to create a culture of wellbeing in medical schools, residency programs and workplaces.

MSDC’s Healthy Physician Foundation offers resources to bolster physician wellbeing. These include peer coaching and counseling, social events, the Physician Health program, financial wellbeing. and more. For more information and access to resources, visit http://www.healthphysician.org.