Each year in the US, roughly 300 to 400 physicians die by suicide — approximately double the suicide rate in the general population. More than half of physicians know of a physician who has either considered, attempted, or died by suicide and 20% know of a physician who has either considered, attempted, or died by suicide since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Moreover, when it comes to COVID-19 impacts, particularly on the mental health of EM physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic, nine in ten EM physicians say they are more stressed since the start of the pandemic: 72 percent report experiencing more professional burnout and more than half report inappropriate feelings of anger, tearfulness or anxiety.
Yet, despite COVID’s growing toll on the mental health and well-being of EM physicians, nearly half are hesitant to seek mental health treatment due to stigma in the workplace.
In response, ACOEP has joined a coalition of emergency medicine (EM) organizations to form an EM Mental Health Collaborative to stimulate education, awareness, advocacy, and policy action related to breaking down barriers to mental health care in EM.