Prevalence of suicide-related behaviors among physicians: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Objective: Suicide is a major cause of premature death among physicians, but the prevalence of suicide-related behaviors (including suicidal ideation, SI and suicide attempt, SA) is inconsistent across studies. This meta-analysis aimed to estimate the prevalence of suicide-related behaviors among physicians and its associated factors. Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Cochrane library databases were systematically searched from commencement date to August 14, 2018. Eligible studies on the prevalence of suicide-related behaviors among physicians were included. Results: Thirty-five eligible studies with 70,368 physicians were included. The lifetime prevalence of SI was 17.4% (95% CI: 13.8%–21.8%), while the 1-year prevalence was 8.6% (95% CI: 7.1%–10.3%), 6-month prevalence was 11.9% (95% CI: 2.7%–39.2%), and 1-month prevalence was 8.6% (95% CI: 5.6%–13.0%). The lifetime prevalence of SA was 1.8% (95% CI: 0.9%–3.7%), while the 1-year prevalence was 0.3% (95% CI: 0.1%–0.8%). Subgroup analyses revealed that geographic region was significantly associated with lifetime and 1-year prevalence of SI, while sample size was significantly associated with 1-month prevalence of SI. Conclusions: This meta-analysis found a relatively high prevalence of suicide-related behaviors, particularly lifetime SI, among physicians. Appropriate preventive and treatment measures should be implemented to reduce the risk of suicide-related behaviors in this population.