By Alena Kuzub
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.
