Medical Students' Deaths by Suicide in Pakistan: An Analysis of Reported Cases

Suicide among medical students is a serious issue. To understand the pattern and risk factors associated with medical students' deaths by suicide, a Google search was conducted for news reports in the last 10 years (2013-2023) using the keywords: medical students, suicide, death by suicide, medical student suicide, and Pakistan. Over this decade, 12 medical student suicides were reported, of which two were excluded. Among the remaining 10 suicide cases, eight were males, and two were females (male-to-female ratio was 4:1). Most of the victims (n = 7, 70%) were in their clinical years of study. The most frequently used method of suicide was hanging (n = 3, 30%), followed by firearms (n = 2, 20%), jumping in front of trains (n = 2, 20%), and drug overdose (n = 1,10%). Academic failure was reported as the most common precipitating factor. Suicide among medical students is an urgent issue that requires a multi-layered preventive strategy, including improved mental health support to medical students. Key Words: Medical students, Pakistan, Suicide, Mental health.