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Annals of Family Medicine 6:267-269 (2008)
© 2008 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.
doi: 10.1370/afm.840
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Essay

Today I’m Grieving a Physician Suicide

Jennifer L. Middleton, MD, MPH

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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TRACK Comments:

Read all TRACK Comments

A call to arms
Michael F Myers
Annals of Family Medicine, 16 May 2008 [Full text]
Personal belief that not all Suicide is Depression.
Scott R. Peschke
Annals of Family Medicine, 16 May 2008 [Full text]
Author's response to "Personal belief that not all Suicide is Depression."
Jennifer L Middleton
Annals of Family Medicine, 20 May 2008 [Full text]
The Stigma of Depression in Physicians
Thomas L. Schwenk
Annals of Family Medicine, 21 May 2008 [Full text]
Physician, Please Don't Heal Thyself!
Mick Oreskovich
Annals of Family Medicine, 19 Jun 2008 [Full text]
Re: The Stigma of Depression in Physicians
Jennifer L Middleton
Annals of Family Medicine, 20 Jun 2008 [Full text]

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