We commend Milner and colleagues on their most important and timely study, which investigated the age-standardised rates and methods of suicide by health professionals compared with other occupational groups.1 They established that suicide rates for female health professionals, including medical professionals, were higher than for women in other occupations. While suicide rates were higher for male nurses and midwives, those for male medical practitioners were not significantly higher compared with other occupational groups.1
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- 1. Milner AJ, Maheen H, Bismark MM, Spittal MJ. Suicide by health professionals: a retrospective mortality study in Australia, 2001–2012. Med J Aust 2016; 205: 260-265. <MJA full text>
- 2. Schernhammer E. Taking their own lives — the high rate of physician suicide. N Engl J Med 2005; 352: 2473-2476.
- 3. Goldney RD. Suicide by health care professionals. Med J Aust 2016; 205: 257-258. <MJA full text>
- 4. Mathews B, Bismark MM. Sexual harassment in the medical profession: legal and ethical responsibilities. Med J Aust 2015; 203: 189-192. <MJA full text>
- 5. Frank E, Brogan D, Schiffman M. Prevalence and correlates of harassment among US women physicians. Arch Intern Med 1998; 158: 352-358.
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