Physician’s Suicidal Behaviours in Europe: Thoughts and Beliefs of Trainees and Early Career Psychiatrists
Introduction The rising rate of suicides among physicians is a critical and concerning issue that has not garnered enough attention. Personal, social, economic factors and working conditions are complicating this problem and a holistic approach is required to work towards a solution. Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the views of psychiatry residents and young psychiatrists working in EPA member countries on the causes, consequences and solutions of physician suicides. Methods Under the umbrella of EPA Suicide Prevention and Suicidology Section, a 24-question survey regarding thoughts and beliefs on physicians’s suicide was developed by a group of young researchers participating in EPA Summer School 2023. The questionnaire was disseminated through EPA Early Career Psychiatrists (ECP), European Federation of Psychiatric Trainees (EFPT) email groups, communication platforms for sub-working units, and various national psychiatric associations via their email and social media channels. The goal is to collect data over at least six months. Preliminary results will be shared with participants at the EPA 2025 Congress. Results When the initial data is analysed, it is seen that 160 people answered the questionnaire. 69% of the participants were female, 29.4% were male, 1.2% preferred not to say. The proportion of specialists was 64.4% and 35.6% of residents. Detailed responses to the questionnaire and the suggestions of the participants will be shared in detail with the congress participants in the presentation. Conclusions This study aims to explore the perspectives of residents and early-career specialists on an issue that is stigmatized within the medical community and often avoided in open discussions. Understanding how young physicians perceive and evaluate this issue amidst increasingly challenging living and working conditions will provide valuable insights, guiding future interventions aimed at addressing and mitigating this burden. Disclosure of Interest None Declared
Authors
- D. Gurrea Salas
- Aida de Arriba‐Arnau (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7877-7341)
- Uğur Çıkrıkçılı (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2735-125X)
- Lou Lefevre
- Mariana Pinto da Costa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5966-5723)
- Lauren Schmitz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1641-289X)
- Davide Cenci
- Zeynep Zeren Uçar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2271-3242)
- Anna Rebeka Szczegielniak (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2160-4589)
- Alenka Temeljotov Salaj (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4139-5278)
- S. Rosson
- Patricia Tirlea
- Y. Ünal-Sayali
Institutions
- Medical University of Silesia (PL)
- Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (ES)
- St. Vincent Charity Hospital (US)
- Sahlgrenska University Hospital (SE)
- East London NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ES)
- Zentrum für Seelische Gesundheit (AT)
- Ankara Atatürk Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi (TR)
- Central Institute of Mental Health (DE)
- S.B. Keçiören Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi (TR)
- Dementia UK (GB)
- UK Dementia Research Institute (GB)
- Hôpital Lapeyronie (FR)
- University Clinical Center Tuzla (BA)
- Spitalul Clinic de Psihiatrie Alexandru Obregia (RO)
- Applied Behavioral Research (United States) (US)
- Psychiatric Medical Center (AM)
Publication Details
- Journal
- European Psychiatry
- Published
- 2025-04-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1192/j.eurpsy.2025.1978
- Primary Topic
- Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00