Common mental disorder and suicidality among doctors: differences by specialty

Background Common mental disorders (CMDs) and suicidal ideation (SI) are prevalent among doctors, yet limited evidence exists investigating the relationship of specialty area to these outcomes. Aims This study aimed to determine the prevalence of likely CMD and SI among doctors and to investigate whether likelihood of these outcomes varied by area of medical specialty. Methods A secondary analysis of a representative national survey of 12,252 Australian doctors was conducted. Demographic and work-related variables, SI and CMD (GHQ-28), were assessed among doctors (n = 7037; 57%) working in a range of specialty areas. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between specialty and mental health outcomes in unadjusted and adjusted models. Results Almost one-quarter of doctors (n = 1560; 23%) reported symptom levels indicating likely CMD whilst 9% (n = 667) reported SI in the last year. Doctors in surgery (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.73, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.54-0.97, P = 0.03) were at significantly lower risk of CMD than General Practitioners (GPs), whilst doctors in anaesthetics (adjusted OR = 1.45; 95% CI 1.09-1.93, P = 0.01) and paediatrics (adjusted OR = 1.88; 95% CI 1.02-3.47, P = 0.04) were at significantly higher risk of experiencing SI compared to GPs after accounting for confounders. Conclusions Results demonstrated that doctors in Australia working in certain specialties, specifically anaesthetics and paediatrics, were at significantly greater risk of suicidal ideation compared to GPs after accounting for confounders. Interventions to address CMD and SI among doctors in all specialties remain urgently needed. Doctors report high levels of mental ill health and suicide. However, there is little high-quality research examining the rates of certain outcomes, especially suicidal thoughts and common mental disorders, and whether they vary between different medical specialties. Our national study reports the levels of suicidal thoughts and common mental disorders among doctors and specialty groups, and identifies specialties that were at higher risk of experiencing suicidal thoughts.

Automated summary

This study investigated the prevalence of common mental disorders and suicidal ideation among doctors in different medical specialties in Australia. The results showed that doctors in anaesthetics and paediatrics were at higher risk of experiencing suicidal thoughts compared to General Practitioners. The study highlights the urgent need for interventions to address mental health issues among doctors in all specialties.