Area teaching hospitals unite to spread awareness about physician suicide

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - The metro’s three largest teaching hospitals are teaming up to raise awareness about physician suicide. It’s a conversation that has been growing in the medical world over the past ten years, but gained more widespread attention when burnout in the field made headlines during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

New Campaign Highlights Growing Concern

The University of Kansas Health System, along with Children’s Mercy Hospital, University Health, UMKC, Kansas City University and the Kansas City Medical Society, joined together to produce a public service announcement to draw attention to the issue. Physicians list off an alarming set of data points:

“Physicians die by suicide at a rate that is more than double the general population.”

“Approximately 1 million Americans will lose their physician this way.”

“Burnout is rampant. It plays a major role, especially in high-stress specialties like critical care, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, family medicine and OB GYN.”

“In our field, we are working in high-stakes environments with limited time and too much stigma around asking for help.”

Dr. Becky Lowry, MD, the University of Kansas Health System’s Chief Wellness Officer, said it’s not a new problem, but it’s one that deserves discussion. That led to September 17 being designated National Physician Suicide Awareness Day.

“In 2018, we acknowledged that suicide and the high rates of death by suicide in our physician profession were important to keep as a part of the conversation,” said Lowry. “This date allows us an opportunity to honor lives lost, to support those most closely impacted by that loss, and importantly, to really open the door to the conversation and the path for health.”

A Doctor’s Personal Experience

Dr. Moben Mirza, MD, a urologic oncologist at the University of Kansas Health System, has been an active part of that conversation for years. He has also mentored three medical trainees who died by suicide.

“You can’t get it wrong,” Mirza said about the high-stakes nature of surgery. “So the expectation is always high.”

Even in medical school, expectations are high. There’s no room for doing half as well. One of his mentees died by suicide after becoming a resident at another hospital. A second died by suicide while in medical school. He was close to them and close to their parents.

He said neither of them showed outward signs of distress.

“Outwardly things were fine,” Mirza said. “They were working hard. They were successful. They were achieving.”

Burnout and Changing Pressures

There are multiple reasons cited for the high suicide rate among doctors. Some are strained early on by medical school debt. There is high-stakes decision-making, emotional exhaustion from patient care, and long hours due to burdens that didn’t exist 30 years ago.

“You’re looking at documentation, regulatory issues, the pressures of profits,” Mirza listed, adding that profit concerns are necessary. “It is a lot more work to be done.”

When he sat down with KCTV, he casually remarked that it had been a long day. He then clarified, saying it was a good day. A long day can be a good day, he said, if it is rewarding. Most days it is. The problem is when it no longer feels rewarding. That’s burnout.

“The worst face of burnout is a physician who’s dying by suicide or a trainee who’s dying by suicide because they’re feeling burnt out,” Mirza said.

At the professional level, awareness has been growing over the past decade.

Expanding Support Systems

The University of Kansas Health System has added psychologists dedicated to supporting medical professionals, both during moments of crisis and as preventive care.

“If you want to go talk about ways to maintain healthy pathways for processing those chronic strains and burdens, they offer that as well,” said Lowry.

They currently have two psychologists at their Professional Wellbeing Center and will soon have four. They are trained in the unique stressors faced by medical professionals. They’ve had 1,700 appointments scheduled since opening.

All services are no-cost, confidential and voluntary. They are currently serving physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, CRNAs, physicists and optometrists.

“I think what you can do differently as a family member, as an institution, as a family of doctors and trainees, is create a culture when there is something going on in your mind, that you can bring it up to somebody, and that we haven’t created those barriers,” said Mirza. “It’s not taboo. There’s no stigma around it, and there are resources around it that are easily accessible.”

Role for Families and Colleagues

Asked what others can do, Mirza suggested, as a first step, simply acknowledging the stressors medical professionals face. Be kind to them. If it’s someone you know, be aware of milestone moments that can be difficult.

“A failure on an exam, a breakup with a spouse or a partner, an accident, a disease, a diagnosis, whatever, there’s going to be times in our lives when we’re going to get taxed more,” he said.

He said what keeps him healthy is the relationships he has with his wife, his children, his father. They check on him and sometimes keep him in check when they can see he needs to take time to recharge.

“Do something that helps you step out of that environment and helps you relax and retreat a little bit,” Mirza said. “Be refreshed for your reward the next day, which is going to be hard, but it’s going to be okay.”

Suicide Awareness and Prevention Resources

The University of Kansas Health System has compiled this list of warning signs, ways to respond and other recommended reading, which can be found here.

If you are thinking about harming yourself or attempting suicide, tell someone who can help right away.

• Call 911 for emergency services.
• Go to the nearest hospital emergency room.
• Call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline available 24 hours a day, offering free and confidential support for anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Support is also available via live chat. Para ayuda en español, llame al 988.