Research Article
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Year 2023, Volume: 3 Issue: 1, 27 - 33, 08.01.2023

Abstract

References

  • Dolinak D, Matshes E. Death certification. In: Dolinak D, Matshes E, Lew E, editors. Forensic Pahology Principles and Practice. London, UK: Elsevier Academic Press; 2005. 663-8 p.
  • Akçan R, Eren A, Yıldırım MŞ, Çekin N. A complex suicide by vehicle assisted ligature strangulation and wrist-cutting. Egypt J Forensic Sci. 2016;6(4):534-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ejfs.2016.06.009.
  • Akçan R, Yıldırım MŞ, Lale A, Heybet ER. Cinayet-kompleks intihar: İkili ölümün nadir bir alt tipi (in Turkish). Dicle Med J. 2016;43(2):367-70. doi: 10.5798/diclemedj.0921.2016.02.0698.
  • TurkStat (2021, September 10). TurkStat Suicide Statistics, 2020. Retrieved from https://data.tuik. gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=Olum-ve-Olum-NedeniIstatistikleri-2019-33710
  • Milner AJ, Niven H, LaMontagne AD. Occupational class differences in suicide: Evidence of changes over time and during the global financial crisis in Australia. BMC Psychiatry. 2015;15:223. doi: 10.1186/s12888-015-0608-5.
  • Leach LS, Poyser C, Butterworth P. Workplace bullying and the association with suicidal ideation/thoughts and behaviour: A systematic review. Occup Environ Med. 2017;74(1):72-9. doi: 10.1136/oemed-2016-103726.
  • Howlett M, Doody K, Murray J, LeBlanc-Duchin D, Fraser J, Atkinson PR. Burnout in emergency department healthcare professionals is associated with coping style: A cross-sectional survey. Emerg Med J. 2015;32(9):722-7. doi: 10.1136/ emermed-2014-203750.
  • Schernhammer ES, Colditz GA. Suicide rates among physicians: A quantitative and gender assessment (meta-analysis). Am J Psychiatry. 2004;161(12):2295-302. doi: 10.1176/appi. ajp.161.12.2295.
  • Hawton K, Clements A, Sakarovitch C, Simkin S, Deeks JJ. Suicide in doctors: A study of risk according to gender, seniority and specialty in medical practitioners in England and Wales, 1979-1995. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2001;55(5):296-300. doi: 10.1136/jech.55.5.296.
  • Lindeman S, Läärä E, Hakko H, Lönnqvist J. A systematic review on gender-specific suicide mortality in medical doctors. Br J Psychiatry. 1996;168:274-9. doi: 10.1192/bjp.168.3.274.
  • Milner AJ, Maheen H, Bismark MM, Spittal MJ. Suicide by health professionals: A retrospective mortality study in Australia, 2001-2012. Med J Aust. 2016;205(6):260-5. doi: 10.5694/mja15.01044.
  • Bertolote JM, Fleischmann A. A global perspective in the epidemiology of suicide. Suicidologi. 2015;7(2):6-8. doi: 10.5617/suicidologi.2330.
  • O’Neill S, Ennis E, Corry C, Bunting B. Factors associated with suicide in four age groups: A population based study. Arch Suicide Res. 2018;22(1):128-38. doi: 10.1080/13811118.2017.1283265.
  • Johansson SE, Sundquist J. Unemployment is an important risk factor for suicide in contemporary Sweden: An 11-year follow-up study of a crosssectional sample of 37.789 people. Public Health. 1997;111(1):41-5. doi: 10.1038/sj.ph.1900317.

Rising health problem of Türkiye, healthcare professionals’ suicides in media

Year 2023, Volume: 3 Issue: 1, 27 - 33, 08.01.2023

Abstract

It is known that the risk of suicide increases in professionals who are frequently exposed to intensive and stressful working conditions. Health professionals may be susceptible to depression and suicide due to occupational stressors besides risk factors such as violence against healthcare professionals, mobbing and burnout. However, it is noteworthy that there is no institutional data or statistics regarding suicides of healthcare professionals, in Türkiye. In this context, we aimed to reveal sociodemographic characteristics and risk factors related to suicides of health workers by evaluation cases subjected to media. Due to the lack of detailed institutional data, we investigated national media releases and reports between 01/01/2010 and 31/12/2020 in order to extract data regarding suicides of healthcare professionals. Obtained data was discussed in the light of the related literature. During the study period, a total of 138 healthcare professionals were reported to have committed suicide, out of which 69 (50%) were male and 69 (50%) were female. The mean age of the presented cases was 34.79 years. It was determined that 68 (48.28%) victims were medical doctors, and the most frequent suicide method was drug intoxication with a rate of 36.23% (n=50). Health workers’ suicides and dynamics have not been fully revealed and have not been studied sufficiently. In this regard, health policies and a professional approach need to be developed in the light of the information obtained through joint studies by Ministry of Health and Associations/Organizations of Healthcare professionals.

References

  • Dolinak D, Matshes E. Death certification. In: Dolinak D, Matshes E, Lew E, editors. Forensic Pahology Principles and Practice. London, UK: Elsevier Academic Press; 2005. 663-8 p.
  • Akçan R, Eren A, Yıldırım MŞ, Çekin N. A complex suicide by vehicle assisted ligature strangulation and wrist-cutting. Egypt J Forensic Sci. 2016;6(4):534-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ejfs.2016.06.009.
  • Akçan R, Yıldırım MŞ, Lale A, Heybet ER. Cinayet-kompleks intihar: İkili ölümün nadir bir alt tipi (in Turkish). Dicle Med J. 2016;43(2):367-70. doi: 10.5798/diclemedj.0921.2016.02.0698.
  • TurkStat (2021, September 10). TurkStat Suicide Statistics, 2020. Retrieved from https://data.tuik. gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=Olum-ve-Olum-NedeniIstatistikleri-2019-33710
  • Milner AJ, Niven H, LaMontagne AD. Occupational class differences in suicide: Evidence of changes over time and during the global financial crisis in Australia. BMC Psychiatry. 2015;15:223. doi: 10.1186/s12888-015-0608-5.
  • Leach LS, Poyser C, Butterworth P. Workplace bullying and the association with suicidal ideation/thoughts and behaviour: A systematic review. Occup Environ Med. 2017;74(1):72-9. doi: 10.1136/oemed-2016-103726.
  • Howlett M, Doody K, Murray J, LeBlanc-Duchin D, Fraser J, Atkinson PR. Burnout in emergency department healthcare professionals is associated with coping style: A cross-sectional survey. Emerg Med J. 2015;32(9):722-7. doi: 10.1136/ emermed-2014-203750.
  • Schernhammer ES, Colditz GA. Suicide rates among physicians: A quantitative and gender assessment (meta-analysis). Am J Psychiatry. 2004;161(12):2295-302. doi: 10.1176/appi. ajp.161.12.2295.
  • Hawton K, Clements A, Sakarovitch C, Simkin S, Deeks JJ. Suicide in doctors: A study of risk according to gender, seniority and specialty in medical practitioners in England and Wales, 1979-1995. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2001;55(5):296-300. doi: 10.1136/jech.55.5.296.
  • Lindeman S, Läärä E, Hakko H, Lönnqvist J. A systematic review on gender-specific suicide mortality in medical doctors. Br J Psychiatry. 1996;168:274-9. doi: 10.1192/bjp.168.3.274.
  • Milner AJ, Maheen H, Bismark MM, Spittal MJ. Suicide by health professionals: A retrospective mortality study in Australia, 2001-2012. Med J Aust. 2016;205(6):260-5. doi: 10.5694/mja15.01044.
  • Bertolote JM, Fleischmann A. A global perspective in the epidemiology of suicide. Suicidologi. 2015;7(2):6-8. doi: 10.5617/suicidologi.2330.
  • O’Neill S, Ennis E, Corry C, Bunting B. Factors associated with suicide in four age groups: A population based study. Arch Suicide Res. 2018;22(1):128-38. doi: 10.1080/13811118.2017.1283265.
  • Johansson SE, Sundquist J. Unemployment is an important risk factor for suicide in contemporary Sweden: An 11-year follow-up study of a crosssectional sample of 37.789 people. Public Health. 1997;111(1):41-5. doi: 10.1038/sj.ph.1900317.
There are 14 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Health Care Administration
Journal Section Original Articles
Authors

Mahmut Şerif Yıldırım This is me 0000-0001-8861-9016

Ramazan Akçan This is me 0000-0002-4100-9488

Muhammed Zeyit Alemdar This is me 0000-0002-3465-231X

Publication Date January 8, 2023
Published in Issue Year 2023 Volume: 3 Issue: 1

Cite

Vancouver Yıldırım MŞ, Akçan R, Alemdar MZ. Rising health problem of Türkiye, healthcare professionals’ suicides in media. Health Sci. Q. 2023;3(1):27-33.