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Medical Student Suicide: An Assessment of Risk Factors and Prevention Strategies

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Suicide Prevention

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Abstract

Throughout their careers, medical caregivers face high levels of stress and are at increased risk of depression, burnout, and suicide. Even early in medical training, medical students have been shown to have increased prevalence of mental health concerns and mental distress. Rates of suicide completion in medical students have been in decline since the 1950s. However, as detailed by David Muller and other colleagues, lives continue to be tragically lost to suicide, leaving a resounding impact on families and students, schools, and the medical community. The prevalence of risk factors associated with suicide, including depression, anxiety, burnout, and substance abuse, remains high. Interventions can be made to reduce the burden of mental distress. Familial support and marital status may serve as protective factors against the development or exacerbation of psychopathology in this population. Additionally, the majority of medical schools have begun to implement a wide variety of curricular wellness programs and suicide risk-reduction strategies to ensure identification and treatment of at-risk students, as well as continued wellness for others.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Carol Swetlik B.A. & Kathleen N. Franco M.D.

  2. Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Kathleen N. Franco M.D.

Authors
  1. Carol Swetlik B.A.
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  2. Kathleen N. Franco M.D.
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Correspondence to Carol Swetlik B.A. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Epilepsy Center/ Psychiatry Department, Neurological Institute - Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

    Tatiana Falcone

  2. Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education, Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel School of Applied Sciences School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

    Jane Timmons-Mitchell

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Swetlik, C., Franco, K.N. (2018). Medical Student Suicide: An Assessment of Risk Factors and Prevention Strategies. In: Falcone, T., Timmons-Mitchell, J. (eds) Suicide Prevention. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74391-2_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74391-2_14

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