Being a healthcare professional carries a heavy responsibility. It is a job that has been around for thousands of years and will never go away. Regardless of the advancement of technology, empathy and humanism are unmatched by any machine. But although many times the attention is focused on the patients, neither should the doctors be neglected. Especially because in recent years there has been a rebound in cases of medical suicide.
Current figures show that Medicine is the profession in which there is a higher incidence of people who put an end to their own life. In fact, statistics have shown that doctors are twice as likely to commit this act as the rest of the population.
Causes and possible reasons
The reasons that lead to making a decision of this type are varied and range from constant stress, exhausting working hours and Burnout syndrome. All the aforementioned aspects are usually present in most doctors since they are students. Unfortunately, some can’t handle the pressure or pace of life and end up making a deadly decision.
In this sense, the specialized publication Canadian Medical Association Journal published an investigation about medical suicide. Within the work, the main ways in which health professionals carry out this action were analyzed. The work revealed that there are three forms that are repeated most frequently.
- Poisoning.
- Firearms.
- Trauma
Less pain and suffering
The most common way to do this is through poisoning. Although it cannot be affirmed, the main reasons would be the knowledge that doctors have on the subject. In addition, many of them have a certain facility to obtain psychotropic medications such as benzodiazepines, barbiturates or antipsychotics and alter the doses to make them deadly.
In addition, based on the research carried out, it is often thought that it is a form of immediate death with little suffering.
Second is suicide with firearms. To some extent, in most countries it is easy to purchase one along with your ammunition. Similarly, the knowledge that doctors have about the human body is related to choosing this action.
Last is trauma, usually caused by throwing from great heights.
Despite all the above, few efforts are made to benefit health professionals. In addition to all the elements mentioned at the beginning, it also influences that in countries like Mexico the salary they receive is very little. In the end, there are so many adversities that many make a deadly determination.