Mortality rates for Finnish anaesthesiologists and paediatricians are lower than those for the general population

Ohtonen, Pasi; Alahuhta, Seppo

doi:10.1111/aas.12936

Cited by 8 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 18 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…There has been increasing concern about stress in the medical workplace and, in particular, evidence suggesting an increased risk of suicide amongst anaesthetists . Anaesthetists’ experiences of suicide suggest a need for such guidance .…”

Section: Why Was This Guideline Developed?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Anaesthetists have been highlighted as having a greater risk of suicide than other specialties, although only a handful of studies with information specific to anaesthetists have been published after the year 2000 [2][3][4][5]. Theories include access to, and knowledge of, potentially lethal drugs and means of their administration; the particular stresses of working within the specialty; and the personality type of doctors entering anaesthesia.…”

Section: Suicide Ratesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Guidelines on suicide amongst anaesthetists 2019

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Summary Anaesthetists are thought to be at increased risk of suicide amongst the medical profession. The aims of the following guidelines are: increase awareness of suicide and associated vulnerabilities, risk factors and precipitants; to emphasise safe ways to respond to individuals in distress, both for them and for colleagues working alongside them; and to support individuals, departments and organisations in coping with a suicide.

show abstract

Section: Why Was This Guideline Developed?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Suicide Ratesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Guidelines on suicide amongst anaesthetists 2019

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Three of these studies presented data from 1995 or earlier and these all showed an increased age-adjusted SMR for suicide in female anaesthetists (1.68-2.15), but a decreased age-adjusted SMR for suicide in male anaesthetists (0.67-0.96) [10,12,13]. There were no SMR data specifically for deaths by suicide in the three reports describing more recent data, which presented findings from Finland [28,29] and the Netherlands [30]. All these more recent studies presented the proportions of anaesthetists' deaths that were due to suicide, which ranged from 7.2% to 17% and were noted to be higher than the proportions observed in the general population (2-4%) [28][29][30].…”

Section: Epidemiological Data (Category A)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There were no SMR data specifically for deaths by suicide in the three reports describing more recent data, which presented findings from Finland [28,29] and the Netherlands [30]. All these more recent studies presented the proportions of anaesthetists' deaths that were due to suicide, which ranged from 7.2% to 17% and were noted to be higher than the proportions observed in the general population (2-4%) [28][29][30]. The meta-analysis by Dutheil et al reported SMR data relating to all physicians as well as some anaesthetist-specific results [31].…”

Section: Epidemiological Data (Category A)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Suicide in anaesthetists: a systematic review

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Summary Evidence suggests that healthcare professionals are at an increased risk of dying by suicide, with anaesthetists at particularly high risk. However, much of the data on which this is based are historical. With a focus on the epidemiology and methods used, we conducted a systematic review of evidence regarding suicide and suicidal behaviour among anaesthetists to provide a more contemporary summary. The systematic review process was adapted from a previous similar study in veterinary surgeons and was consistent with recommended guidance. We identified 54 articles published in or after 1990 that had anaesthetist‐specific data and met the inclusion criteria. Seven of these reported epidemiological data, of which four were published after 2000. Although none of the more recent studies reported standardised mortality rates specific to suicide in anaesthetists, the proportion of anaesthetists dying by suicide was increased with respect to comparator groups, which is consistent with previous findings. Eleven studies that included information on suicidal behaviour reported suicidal ideation in 3.2–25% of individuals (six studies) and suicide attempts in 0.5–2% (four studies). Studies reporting methods of suicide highlighted the use of anaesthetic drugs, particularly propofol, supporting the suggestion that the increased risk of suicide in anaesthetists may be related to the availability of the means. We discuss our findings in relation to other recently published data and guidance concerning mental health problems in anaesthetists.

show abstract

“…The distress prevalence among anesthesiologists-resuscitators is 17-37 %, and depression is 9-15 % (Sun et al, 2019). Almost every second specialist in the anesthesiology departments and intensive care thought about suicide (Ohtonen & Alahuhta, 2017;Sinbukhova et al, 2019).…”

Section: Problem Statementmentioning

confidence: 99%