Suicide among Health Care Professionals—An Indian Perspective

Suicide is a global phenomenon that claims a person’s life every 40 s. The suicide-mortality rate in India is higher than the worldwide average for health care professionals (HCP). The treatment gap for mental health care is alarming, more than 80% in India which has improved compared to a decade. Among the methods chosen by HCPs for dying by suicide, violent suicide methods are more common. Hanging is the most common means, followed by lethal injection and jumping from a building. Among the medical students and professionals in India, academic stress is the leading cause of suicides, followed by mental illness and harassment. Stressfully long working hours, starvation for long hours, inadequate diet, sleep deprivation, inadequate rest, high levels of personal expectations, knowledge of lethal suicide methods, easy access to potentially fatal drugs, apathy, and fearlessness towards death are some of the contributing factors. Primary preventive measures to minimize suicides in HCPs would be to conduct stress-management workshops at an institutional level, routine mental health check-ups in healthcare institutions, mental-health screening for students enrolling into healthcare courses, and prompt referrals to mental healthcare facilities. In addition, telehealth services or mental health services for medical professionals of India are the need of the hour.