Suicide is More Common in Medical School Than in Any Other School Setting

Medical school is a time when students are learning to take care of others, but many medical students forget to take care of themselves in the process. With the grueling hours, extreme work, and the pressure to be amazing, it is hard to remember to sleep, eat, and try to relax from time to time. The month of May was “Mental Health Care Month” and recently, suicide was a popular topic. Although many students may not know this, suicide is the second leading cause of death in young adults. Medical students are three times more likely to commit suicide than the rest of the general population in their age range. Stress and depression are common in students, but two times more common in medical students.



Why is it So Common?

So, what is the reason for such a big difference? One of the main reasons is that medical students are afraid to admit that they need help because they see it as weakness. Getting a reputation of being weak could be detrimental for their career. The stigma of getting mental health care is one of the most common deterrents for getting help due to the fear of it affecting their academic standing and chances of getting into the residency program they are seeking. In fact, it became such a big deal at one school. The dean himself wrote an article about one of the fourth-year medical students who had committed suicide. It is important to know that there are people out there who feel just like you do.


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Suicidal ideation in medical students: recent insights

Abstract
Background
Previous studies have indicated that suicidal ideation is prevalent in medical students. The factors related to school admission processes and medical school environments contribute to this high prevalence. The consequences of suicidal ideation include suicide attempts and completed suicide. This article reviewed the recent literature on suicidal ideation in medical students.

Materials and methods
A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify the articles published on the prevalence of suicidal ideation and associated factors in medical students. Original articles published from 2011 were included.

Results
Seventeen studies comprising a total of 13,244 medical students from 13 Western and non-Western countries were included. The prevalence of suicidal ideation ranged from 1.8% to 53.6%. The most frequent factors associated with suicidal ideation in medical students were depression and depressive symptoms, a previous diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder, lower socioeconomic status/financial difficulties, having a history of drug use, and feeling neglected by parents. We did not find studies on interventional studies on suicidal ideation in medical students published in recent years.

Conclusion
We identified a number of non-Western studies published in recent years, overcoming the previous scarcity of research in this area. Findings confirmed that suicidal ideation in medical students remains a significant concern. Future studies should focus on preventive and treatment programs targeting the identified factors associated with suicidal ideation in medical students.

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