Common mental disorder and suicidality among doctors: differences by specialty.

Area of Science:

• Medical research
• Psychiatry
• Public Health

Background:

• Common mental disorders (CMDs) and suicidal ideation (SI) are significant concerns among physicians.
• Limited research has explored the impact of medical specialty on these mental health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of likely CMD and SI in Australian doctors.
• To investigate if the likelihood of CMD and SI differs across medical specialty areas.

Main Methods:

• Secondary analysis of a national survey of 12,252 Australian doctors.
• Assessed CMD (GHQ-28) and SI in 7037 doctors across various specialties.
• Used logistic regression to analyze the association between specialty and mental health outcomes.

Main Results:

• 23% of doctors reported likely CMD, and 9% reported SI in the past year.
• Doctors in surgery had a lower risk of CMD compared to General Practitioners (GPs).
• Doctors in anaesthetics and paediatrics showed a significantly higher risk of SI compared to GPs.

Conclusions:

• Specialty area is associated with varying risks of suicidal ideation among Australian doctors.
• Anaesthetists and paediatricians face elevated risks for SI, necessitating targeted support.
• Urgent, specialty-inclusive interventions are needed to address CMD and SI in the medical profession.