Death by Suicide-The EMS Profession Compared to the General Public

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Occupational Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Suicide is a leading cause of death in the U.S., with nearly 45,000 deaths in 2016.
• Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), including firefighters and paramedics, face high stress and are at higher risk for suicide.
• High rates of depression and substance abuse among EMTs further elevate their suicide risk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the statewide Mortality Odds Ratio (MOR) of suicide completion among EMTs compared to non-EMTs in Arizona.
• To quantify the increased odds of suicide among EMTs.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of adult deaths in Arizona from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2015, using the Electronic Death Registry.
• Manual review of decedent occupations to identify the EMT cohort.
• Calculation of the Mortality Odds Ratio (MOR) for suicide in EMTs versus non-EMTs, adjusting for demographic factors.

Main Results:

• The study analyzed 350,998 deaths, with 7,838 categorized as suicide.
• The proportion of suicide deaths among EMTs was 5.2%, significantly higher than the 2.2% among non-EMTs (p < 0.0001).
• Adjusted analysis revealed EMTs had 1.39 times higher odds of death by suicide compared to non-EMTs (aMOR: 1.39; 95% CI [1.06-1.82]).

Conclusions:

• EMTs exhibit a significantly higher Mortality Odds Ratio for suicide compared to non-EMTs in Arizona.
• Further research is crucial to understand the specific causes of suicide in this population.
• Effective prevention strategies tailored for EMTs are needed to address this critical public health issue.