Today, September 17, Collier County Medical Society (CCMS) honors National Physician Suicide Awareness Day (NPSA Day), a reminder and a call to action, so that physicians’ struggles don’t become mental health emergencies. As a NPSA Day Supporting Organization, CCMS is sharing suicide prevention resources and encouraging its physician members to use the CCMS Physician Wellness Program, which offers six confidential, cost-free psychological sessions to each member per year.
Physicians have one of the highest suicide rates of any profession. More than half of physicians and medical students, and nearly half of residents know of a physician or colleague or peer, respectively, who has ever considered, attempted or died by suicide.
While there are some signs of improvement, the overall state of wellbeing remains low – with residents and medical students reporting an even lower state of wellbeing.
- For the fourth year in a row, six in ten physicians often have feelings of burnout, compared to four in ten before the pandemic in 2018.
- Seven in 10 medical students and 6 in 10 residents often have feelings of burnout.
- Nearly two-thirds of medical students report withdrawing from family/friends/co-workers, as well as 54% of residents and 38% of physicians.
Burnout and barriers to care for current and future physicians can cause more cases of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and lead to suicidal thoughts for physicians, directly impacting physician suicide rates.
However, physicians, residents, and students have identified solutions they need to improve their mental health and wellbeing. Now is the time to get mental health resources in the hands of current and future physicians, to remove intrusive mental health questions from licensing and credentialing applications, and to take action to create a culture of wellbeing in medical schools, residency programs, and workplaces.
CCMS encourages the community to access and share the suicide prevention resources for immediate and ongoing physician support, and to learn more about the CCMS Physician Wellness Program at ccmsonline.org/physician-wellness. The program has provided over 800 counseling sessions to physicians since March 2017.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.
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About National Physician Suicide Awareness Day
National Physician Suicide Awareness Day (#NPSADay) is a reminder and call to action. It’s a time to talk – and to act – so physicians’ struggles don’t become mental health emergencies. Prevention begins with learning the signs, starting the conversations, removing intrusive mental health questions and sharing the resources that can help those in distress seek mental health care. National Physician Suicide Awareness Day is an annual event that takes place on September 17, with a mission to break down the culture of silence around physician mental health. Learn more at NPSADay.org.
About Collier County Medical Society
Collier County Medical Society is an organization of physicians dedicated to serving the needs of our physician members, so they can better serve the needs of the community. CCMS was founded in 1957 and over the past 60+ years has grown to over 750 physician members representing all specialties. Membership is voluntary and brings together physicians who have an interest in organized medicine and share the goals of maintaining high standards of clinical care in Collier County. CCMS is affiliated with the Florida Medical Association and the American Medical Association.