A word of caution: This topic may upset some listeners.
The suicide rate among the general population has increased 30% since 2000. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people 10-34 years old.
Suicide is an even more challenging concern in the world of health and medicine. Health care professionals, including physicians, veterinarians, and nurses have considerably higher rates of suicide than the general population. Sadly, we even sometimes see suicide referred to as an occupational hazard for health care professionals.
Besides the direct human toll of suicide, we know health care professionals who are depressed and suffering in other ways cannot offer the best care for human and animal patents.
This phenomenon, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, is alarming and the topic of today’s conversation on HealthConnections. Co-host Brandon Hollingsworth is joined by Dr. Elizabeth Strand and HealthConnections creator Dr. Carole Myers.