- The suicide rate among doctors doubles that of the rest of the population.
- According to the WHO, each year there are 703,000 cases of suicide in the world.
- In addition, there are thousands of other people who try and do not succeed.
Being able to take care of the health of others implies a great responsibility. It is not something simple and that is why so many years of study are required. In addition, constant training is essential to learn about the different innovations that appear. But although it is satisfying to receive thanks from a patient, there are also negative aspects that cannot be ignored. In this sense, among the main ones are the suicidal thoughts among physicians that have increased over the last couple of years.
Current panorama in Latin America
In this regard, the universities of Chile and Columbia, with the collaboration of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), carried out A study. What was obtained is that health personnel in 11 Latin American countries present high rates of depressive symptoms, suicidal thoughts, and psychological distress.
The report The COVID-19 HEALTH CARE WORKERS STUDY (HEROES) shows that between 14.7% and 22% of the health personnel interviewed in 2020 presented symptoms that made it possible to suspect a depressive episode. While between 5 and 15% of the staff said they thought about committing suicide. The study also reveals that in some countries only about a third of those who said they needed psychological care received it.
“The pandemic evidenced the exhaustion of health personnel and in countries where the health system collapsed, the personnel suffered grueling days and ethical dilemmas that impacted their mental health. The pandemic is not over. It is essential to take care of those who take care of us,” he stressed. Anselm Henisdirector of the Department of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health of PAHO.
HEROES consisted of interviews with 14,502 health workers from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Bolivia, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and Uruguay, and included the participation of academics and researchers from dozens of institutions in those countries.
What generates suicidal thoughts among doctors?
The need for emotional and financial support, concern about infecting family members, conflicts with family members of infected people, and changes in usual work functions were some of the main factors that affected the mental health of staff.
On the other hand, trusting that the health institution and the government could handle the pandemic, having the support of co-workers, and considering themselves a spiritual or religious person were mentioned as some of the factors that helped protect their mental health.
“The pandemic increased the stress, anxiety and depression of health workers and revealed that countries have not developed specific policies to protect their mental health. There is a health debt that must be settled,” said Rubén Alvarado, an academic from the mental health program at the University of Chile’s School of Medicine and one of the study’s principal investigators.
The report stresses that it is urgent to develop specific policies that make it possible to organize actions that protect the mental health of these workers. In this sense, it recommends modifying the work environment and guaranteeing adequate working conditions. Also, grant decent remuneration, stable contractual conditions and create spaces where teams can talk, vent and carry out self-care practices.
“After two years of the pandemic, many workers are still not receiving the support they need and that can cause them to develop different mental disorders in the coming years, something we have to be prepared for,” said Ezra Susser of Columbia University and another of the principal investigators of the report.
Likewise, the document calls for providing support to health workers for the care of their children and elderly people in their care, since the majority are women and caregivers. It also recommends putting into practice the guidelines to protect the mental health of staff in health centers and make mental health services accessible to these workers.
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