IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/socpsy/v68y2022i4p718-728.html

Suicide deaths among medical students, residents and physicians in India spanning a decade (2010–2019): An exploratory study using on line news portals and Google database

Author

Listed:
  • Savita Chahal
  • Anuradha Nadda
  • Nikhil Govil
  • Nishu Gupta
  • Diviyanshu Nadda
  • Kapil Goel
  • Priyamadhaba Behra

Abstract

Background: Despite having one of the world’s largest medical education consortium, India lacks a comprehensive and nationally representative data on suicide deaths among medical students and physicians unlike the one found in most of the developed nations of the world. Aim: We aimed to explore the different characteristics of suicide deaths among medical students, residents and physicians in India over a decade (2010–2019). Methods: Content analysis of all suicide death reports among medical students, residents and physicians available from online news portals and other publicly available sites was done. Search was done retrospectively using pertinent search words individually or in combination with language restricted to Hindi and English and timed from January 2010 to December 2019. Reports on completed suicide by allopathic medical students, residents and physicians from India were included. Socio-demographic and suicidological variables were analysed using R software. Results: A total of 358 suicide deaths among medical students (125), residents (105) and physicians (128) were reported between 2010 and 2019. Around 7 out of 10 suicides happened before the age of 30 and had mean age 29.9 (±12.2) years. Female residents and physicians were younger than their male counterparts at the time of suicide. Overall maximum suicide deaths were concentrated in South India except the state of Kerala. The specialty of anesthesiology (22.4%) followed by obstetrics-gynaecology (16.0%) had the highest suicide deaths. Violent suicide methods were more commonly used by all, with hanging being the most common mean of suicide. Academic stress among medical students (45.2%) and residents (23.1%), and marital discord among physicians (26.7%) were the most noticeable reasons for suicide. Mental health problems were the next most common reason in medical students (24%) and physicians (20%) while harassment (20.5%) was in residents. Twenty six percent had exhibited suicide warning signs and only 13% had ever sought psychiatric help before ending their lives. A total of nine reports of suicide pact were found with the average deaths per pact being 2.4 and predominantly driven by financial reasons. Conclusion: Academic stress among medical students and residents, and marital discord in physicians emerged as the key reasons for suicide. However, this preventable domain should be further explored through focused research. This is the first of its kind study from India which attempted to explore this vital yet neglected public health issue using the most feasible and practical method of online news content-based analysis.

Suggested Citation

  • Savita Chahal & Anuradha Nadda & Nikhil Govil & Nishu Gupta & Diviyanshu Nadda & Kapil Goel & Priyamadhaba Behra, 2022. "Suicide deaths among medical students, residents and physicians in India spanning a decade (2010–2019): An exploratory study using on line news portals and Google database," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 68(4), pages 718-728, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:68:y:2022:i:4:p:718-728
    DOI: 10.1177/00207640211011365
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00207640211011365
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/00207640211011365?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Frédéric Dutheil & Claire Aubert & Bruno Pereira & Michael Dambrun & Fares Moustafa & Martial Mermillod & Julien S Baker & Marion Trousselard & François-Xavier Lesage & Valentin Navel, 2019. "Suicide among physicians and health-care workers: A systematic review and meta-analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(12), pages 1-28, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Muhammad Syafiq Kunyahamu & Aziah Daud & Ijlal Syamim Mohd Basri & Tengku Alina Tengku Ismail & Mohd Faiz Md Tahir, 2026. "Mental health help-seeking intentions among health workers in the east coast of peninsular Malaysia: Perceived barriers and predictive factors," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 21(3), pages 1-13, March.
    2. Gabriele d’Ettorre & Giancarlo Ceccarelli & Letizia Santinelli & Paolo Vassalini & Giuseppe Pietro Innocenti & Francesco Alessandri & Alexia E. Koukopoulos & Alessandro Russo & Gabriella d’Ettorre & L, 2021. "Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms in Healthcare Workers Dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-16, January.
    3. Frédéric Dutheil & Lenise M. Parreira & Julia Eismann & François-Xavier Lesage & David Balayssac & Céline Lambert & Maëlys Clinchamps & Denis Pezet & Bruno Pereira & Bertrand Le Roy, 2021. "Burnout in French General Practitioners: A Nationwide Prospective Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-16, November.
    4. Mario Jojoa Acosta & Gema Castillo-Sánchez & Begonya Garcia-Zapirain & Isabel de la Torre Díez & Manuel Franco-Martín, 2021. "Sentiment Analysis Techniques Applied to Raw-Text Data from a Csq-8 Questionnaire about Mindfulness in Times of COVID-19 to Improve Strategy Generation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(12), pages 1-21, June.
    5. Kathrin Angelika Schwerdtfeger & Heide Glaesmer & Mahtab Bahramsoltani, 2024. "High overcommitment and low reward as potential predictors for increased depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, and suicide risk in German veterinarians," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 19(9), pages 1-20, September.
    6. Johann Augros & Frédéric Dutheil & Amanda C. Benson & Marie-Pierre Sauvant-Rochat & Gil Boudet & Catherine Laporte & Benoit Cambon & Guillaume T. Vallet, 2021. "Experience of General Practice Residents Caring for Dependent Elderly during the First COVID-19 Lockdown—A Qualitative Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-15, November.
    7. Andreas Chatzittofis & Maria Karanikola & Kyriaki Michailidou & Anastasia Constantinidou, 2021. "Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mental Health of Healthcare Workers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-8, February.
    8. Alexandra de Jesus & Liliana Pitacho & Ana Moreira, 2023. "Burnout and Suicidal Behaviours in Health Professionals in Portugal: The Moderating Effect of Self-Esteem," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-21, February.
    9. Corinne Peek-Asa & Ling Zhang & Cara Hamann & Jonathan Davis & Laura Schwab-Reese, 2021. "Characteristics and Circumstances Associated with Work-Related Suicides from the National Violent Death Reporting System, 2013–2017," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-12, September.
    10. Alice Solibieda & Marianne Rotsaert & Gwenolé Loas, 2021. "The Interpersonal–Psychological Theory of Suicide in Medical Students: Comparisons of Individuals without Suicidality, Ideators, and Planners," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-7, November.
    11. Helia Carmen Peris-Ramos & María Carreira Míguez & Stephanie Rodriguez-Besteiro & Susana David-Fernandez & Vicente Javier Clemente-Suárez, 2024. "Gender-Based Differences in Psychological, Nutritional, Physical Activity, and Oral Health Factors Associated with Stress in Teachers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(4), pages 1-16, March.
    12. Frédéric Dutheil & Lénise M. Parreira & Bruno Pereira & Maryse Baldet & Frédérique Marson & Christine Chabaud & Magali Blot & Julien S. Baker & Marek Zak & Guillaume Vallet & Valentin Magnon & Maëlys , 2023. "SOphrology Intervention to Improve WELL-Being in Hospital Staff (SO-WELL): Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-14, January.
    13. Soo-Hyun Nam & Jeong-Hyun Nam & Chan-Young Kwon, 2022. "Lack of Interventional Studies on Suicide Prevention among Healthcare Workers: Research Gap Revealed in a Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-9, October.
    14. Charlène Millot & Bruno Pereira & Sophie Miallaret & Maëlys Clinchamps & Luc Vialatte & Arnaud Guillin & Yan Bailly & Ukadike Chris Ugbolue & Valentin Navel & Julien Steven Baker & Jean-Baptiste Bouil, 2022. "Statistical Analysis of Absenteeism in a University Hospital Center between 2007 and 2019," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-16, October.
    15. Carole Pelissier & Manon Viale & Philippe Berthelot & Brigitte Poizat & Catherine Massoubre & Theophile Tiffet & Luc Fontana, 2021. "Factors Associated with Psychological Distress in French Medical Students during the COVID-19 Health Crisis: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-15, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:68:y:2022:i:4:p:718-728. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.