SynthesisPloS one2019
Suicide among physicians and health-care workers: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07087119 (A Pilot Study), which is not on this map. Cited by 228 papers, 13 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
A Pilot Study: Exploring The Role Of an Artificial Intelligence Powered Mental Health Support Tool For Mental Health Wellness For Physicians In Training
Who cites it
228 citing papers in PubMed, 13 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Stress and retention challenges among rural and regional physicians: a mixed-methods systematic review and framework for action.Journal of public health (Oxford, England) · 2026Pooled it
- Suicidal behaviours and associated factors among Bangladeshi medical students: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2000-2024).BMJ open · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Suicide rates among physicians compared with the general population in studies from 20 countries: gender stratified systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2024Pooled it
- The influence of burnout on cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2024Pooled it
- Universal, selective and indicated interventions for supporting mental health at the workplace: an umbrella review of meta-analyses.Occupational and environmental medicine · 2023Pooled it
- Lack of Interventional Studies on Suicide Prevention among Healthcare Workers: Research Gap Revealed in a Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Healthcare Workers following the First SARS-CoV Epidemic of 2003: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Meta-analysis of effort-reward imbalance prevalence among physicians.International archives of occupational and environmental health · 2022Pooled it
- Suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review.Frontiers in public health · 2022Pooled it
- Smoking Prevalence among Physicians: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms in Healthcare Workers Dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Pooled it
- Hypnosis reshapes multilevel stress response and enhances executive performance in stressed medical students.Scientific reports · 2026Trial
- Addressing Mental Health Symptoms Among COVID-19 Healthcare Workers: A Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Pilot Study.Stress and health : journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress · 2024Trial
- Grief in Neurosurgery: Reframing Loss and Identity Through Lived Experience.Neurosurgery practice · 2026Review
- Evaluation of a novel communication workshop for healthcare professionals working with metastatic breast cancer patients.Breast (Edinburgh, Scotland) · 2026Article
- When systems fail: institutional responsibility for physician suicide.European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience · 2026Article
- Sudden unexpected physicians' death during performing professional duties: increasing social and public health problem.International journal of occupational medicine and environmental health · 2026Review
- Distress Profiles and Help-Seeking Behaviors Among Diverse Healthcare Workers Participating in a Mental Health Screening Program.Academic psychiatry : the journal of the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training and the Association for Academic Psychiatry · 2026Article
168 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMedical-related professions are at high suicide risk. However, data are contradictory and comparisons were not made between gender, occupation and specialties, epochs of times. Thus, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on suicide risk among health-care workers.
methodThe PubMed, Cochrane Library, Science Direct and Embase databases were searched without language restriction on April 2019, with the following keywords: suicide* AND (« health care worker* » OR physician* OR nurse*). When possible, we stratified results by gender, countries, time, and specialties. Estimates were pooled using random-effect meta-analysis. Differences by study-level characteristics were estimated using stratified meta-analysis and meta-regression. Suicides, suicidal attempts, and suicidal ideation were retrieved from national or local specific registers or case records. In addition, suicide attempts and suicidal ideation were also retrieved from questionnaires (paper or internet).
resultsThe overall SMR for suicide in physicians was 1.44 (95CI 1.16, 1.72) with an important heterogeneity (I2 = 93.9%, p<0.001). Female were at higher risk (SMR = 1.9; 95CI 1.49, 2.58; and ES = 0.67; 95CI 0.19, 1.14; p<0.001 compared to male). US physicians were at higher risk (ES = 1.34; 95CI 1.28, 1.55; p <0.001 vs Rest of the world). Suicide decreased over time, especially in Europe (ES = -0.18; 95CI -0.37, -0.01; p = 0.044). Some specialties might be at higher risk such as anesthesiologists, psychiatrists, general practitioners and general surgeons. There were 1.0% (95CI 1.0, 2.0; p<0.001) of suicide attempts and 17% (95CI 12, 21; p<0.001) of suicidal ideation in physicians. Insufficient data precluded meta-analysis on other health-care workers.
conclusionPhysicians are an at-risk profession of suicide, with women particularly at risk. The rate of suicide in physicians decreased over time, especially in Europe. The high prevalence of physicians who committed suicide attempt as well as those with suicidal ideation should benefits for preventive strategies at the workplace. Finally, the lack of data on other health-care workers suggest to implement studies investigating those occupations.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.