MSNJ Takes Action to Prevent Physician Suicide

National Physician Suicide Awareness Day encourages individual and system action to better support physician mental health and wellbeing

Trenton, NJ — Today, the Medical Society of New Jersey (MSNJ) honors National Physician Suicide Awareness Day (NPSA Day) a reminder and a call to action, so that physicians’ struggles don’t become mental health emergencies. As a NPSA Day Supporting Organization, MSNJ is sharing resources with members.

Physicians have one of the highest suicide rates of any profession. More than half of physicians and medical students, and nearly half of residents know of a physician or colleague or peer, respectively, who has ever considered, attempted or died by suicide.

While there are some signs of improvement, the overall state of wellbeing remains low – with residents and medical students reporting an even lower state of wellbeing.

• For the fourth year in a row, six in ten physicians often have feelings of burnout, compared to four in ten before the pandemic in 2018.
• Seven in 10 medical students and 6 in 10 residents often have feelings of burnout.
• Nearly two-thirds of medical students report withdrawing from family/friends/co-workers, as well as 54% of residents and 38% of physicians.

Burnout and barriers to care for current and future physicians can cause more cases of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and lead to suicidal thoughts for physicians, directly impacting physician suicide rates.

However, physicians, residents and students have identified solutions they need to improve their mental health and wellbeing. Now is the time to get mental health resources in the hands of current and future physicians, to remove intrusive mental health questions from licensing and credentialing applications and to take action to create a culture of wellbeing in medical schools, residency programs and workplaces.

MSNJ is proud to support this outstanding initiative. For more information about actions that you can take to prevent physician suicide, as well as to access resources, visit NPSADay.org.

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About National Physician Suicide Awareness Day

National Physician Suicide Awareness Day (#NPSADay) is a reminder and call to action. It’s a time to talk – and to act – so physicians’ struggles don’t become mental health emergencies. Prevention begins with learning the signs, starting the conversations, removing intrusive mental health questions and sharing the resources that can help those in distress seek mental health care. National Physician Suicide Awareness Day is an annual event that takes place on September 17, with a mission to break down the culture of silence around physician mental health. Learn more at NPSADay.org.