Common mental disorder and suicidality among doctors: differences by specialty

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.