We can prevent doctor suicide

The well-known 2013 beyondblue national mental health survey of 14000 doctors and medical students reported that over 10% experienced suicidal thinking in the previous year. Five years on, a number of medical organisations have set up mental health initiatives, but these activities are yet to address the scale of our problem. The article outlines local and national strategies to make a difference to the tragedy of doctor suicide – together.

View Professor Rowe's article here.

As one strategy, ‘Every Doctor: Healthier Doctors = Healthier Patients’, authored by Professor Michael Kidd AM and Professor Leanne Rowe AM, may be used as a helpful resource for doctors and other professionals in a number of ways:

• To open the topics for discussion at your next meeting, workshop or conference;
• For training doctors to care for the special needs of other doctors and medical students;
• Inclusion of information about the book in your newsletter, intranet or website; and/or
• As a gift for all doctors in your practice/organisation.

“As implicit in the title the book reaches out to every doctor from recent graduates to the experienced GP and specialist. The message is universal, timeless and challenging.”

Professor John Murtagh AM, Monash University, Australia

For more information or to order Every Doctor refer to: www.everydoctor.org