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Today I’m Grieving a Physician Suicide

Department of Family Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

CORRESPONDING ADDRESS: Jennifer L. Middleton, MD, MPH Department of Family Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 3937 Butler St, Pittsburgh, PA 15201, middletonjl{at}upmc.edu

ABSTRACT

An estimated 250 physicians will commit suicide this year. In this essay, the author shares her grief and guilt over the suicide of a colleague while reflecting on both the scale of this largely unacknowledged problem and the stigma that prevents our profession from adequately addressing it. Physicians are as vulnerable to depression as is the general population, but they seek care at lower rates and commit suicide at higher rates. Fears regarding loss of professional stature and respect often prevent depressed physicians from accessing needed mental health services. This same stigma can also compound the mourning process of the colleagues and family of those physicians who complete suicide. As a profession, physicians must strengthen existing resources for impaired colleagues and work collaboratively to destigmatize treatment for mental illnesses.

Key Words: Suicide • physicians • psychosocial issues in health care • social support • mental health/depression • depressive disorder • behavioral medicine

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