Why doctors are more affected than others

NEW DELHI: Every year 300-400 physicians commit suicide in the US. While there is no such data for suicide rates among medical professionals in India, psychiatrists say it is much higher than general population.

"Stress levels are very high among medical professionals. But another key factor could be easier access to narcotic drugs that can kill," said Dr Sudhir Gupta, professor and head of forensic sciences department at AIIMS. He added that there had been at least two-three instances in the institute where the victim had injected drugs to kill self in last two years.

Dr Nand Kumar, professor of psychiatry at AIIMS, said that unlike engineers or MBAs, doctors have least social activity and exposure. "Help-seeking behaviour among medical professionals is also less. They tend to ignore symptoms despite knowing consequences," he added.

According to Dr Pankaj Solanki, president of the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA), senior residents often spend 100 hours at work in a week. "Doctors deal with the life and death of patients. A wrong decision, even if taken with best intention, affects our mental health," he said. The FORDA president said there is no attempt by institutions or policymakers towards to ease the pressure on medical professionals.

Dr K K Agarwal, president of Indian Medical Association (IMA), said they have initiated programmes aimed to address the issue. "We are conducting seminars and taking up initiatives to create awareness about mental illness among doctors," he said.

According to American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the rate of suicides among male physicians is 1.41 times higher than the general male population. And among female physicians, the relative risk is even more pronounced - 2.27 times greater than the general female population.