Physicians are admired for their sacrifice and dedication. Yet beneath the surface lies a painful, quiet reality: Physicians may take their lives more than any other professional, reported at 40 per 100,000. That stat was presented at the 2018 American Psychiatric Association meeting and has been widely debated. A Missouri State Medical Associate study found that nearly one doctor dies by suicide every day.
The Physicians Foundation says that 55% of physicians know a doctor who considered, attempted, or died by suicide. Doctor’s Burden: Medscape Physician Suicide Report 2023 asked over 9000 doctors if they had suicidal thoughts. Nine percent of male physicians and 11% of female physicians said yes.