Breaking the Silence: Confronting Physician Stress & Suicide in Modern Healthcare-View Presentation Slides

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The 2025 American Psychiatric Association webinar, "Breaking the Silence: Confronting Physician Stress and Suicide in Modern Healthcare," highlights the critical issue of physician mental health, burnout, and suicide. Presented by experts including Drs. Carrie Cunningham, Sid Zisook, Srijan Sen, Michael Baron, and Christine Moutier, the program covers the scope, causes, and prevention strategies for physician stress and suicide.<br /><br />Physicians face high rates of burnout, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Surveys show 15% have suicidal ideation, and 38% know a colleague who died by suicide. Burnout and depression often overlap but differ in impact; depression poses a greater suicide risk. Female physicians have higher suicide rates than female non-physicians, with residents particularly vulnerable, as suicide is a leading cause of death among this group. Contributing factors include perfectionism, compulsive traits, work-family conflict, long hours, sleep disruption, and stigma preventing help-seeking.<br /><br />The webinar emphasizes the importance of recognizing depression distinct from burnout and addressing systemic barriers like stigma, fear of licensing consequences, and time constraints. Physician culture often fosters self-reliance, denial, and delayed self-care, worsening outcomes. Moral injury and burnout symptoms (emotional exhaustion, detachment, low achievement) affect care quality and physician wellbeing.<br /><br />Experts advocate for multifaceted prevention: leadership commitment, cultural change, training, confidential mental health support, and peer involvement to promote psychological safety and early intervention. Postvention efforts help communities heal after physician suicide.<br /><br />Resources mentioned include screenings (CSSR, AFSP Interactive Screening Program), suicide prevention education, physician support lines, and ethical media reporting guidelines. The program encourages open conversations, direct inquiry about suicidal thoughts, and collaborative safety planning.<br /><br />Overall, prioritizing physician mental health requires acknowledging the problem's scope, overcoming barriers, and implementing systemic, culture-based solutions to reduce distress and save lives in the healthcare workforce.

Keywords

Physician mental health

Physician suicide

Burnout in healthcare

Depression among physicians

Physician stress

Suicide prevention

Healthcare workforce wellbeing

Physician burnout causes

Mental health stigma

Physician support programs