Increased Suicide of Iranian Resident Physicians in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The suicide rate among physicians has been reported to be higher than that among the public as a whole (1). Several factors, including the knowledge of the lethal doses of medications, increased access to potentially lethal medications, and untreated or inadequately treated mental illnesses (eg, depression and anxiety), increased the rates of suicide completion among physicians (2). This increased rate is often associated with long working hours, the highstress culture of medicine, the relative neglect of self-care, and spending less time with family and friends (3).