2025-07-28カロリンスカ研究所(KI)
<関連情報>
- https://news.ki.se/new-study-shows-increased-suicide-risk-among-healthcare-workers
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acps.70018
医療従事者、自殺、および自殺未遂:スウェーデンの労働人口に基づくコホート研究 Healthcare Occupations, Suicides, and Suicide Attempts: A Cohort Study Based on the Working Population in Sweden
Alicia Nevriana, Emma Brulin, Tomas Hemmingsson, Melody Almroth, Kuan-Yu Pan, Theo Bodin, Katarina Kjellberg, Daniel Falkstedt
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica Published: 20 July 2025
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/acps.70018
ABSTRACT
Introduction
Many studies have examined physicians’ risk of suicide, but studies of other healthcare occupations have been fewer. Suicide attempts have also rarely been studied. We aimed to determine the risks of suicide and suicide attempts among healthcare workers in comparison with non-healthcare workers, according to occupational qualification level.
Methods
This population-based cohort study linking Swedish national registers included 243,183 healthcare workers in high-qualified occupations (e.g., physicians); 1,789,076 workers in other high-qualified occupations; 514,726 healthcare workers in low-qualified occupations (e.g., assistant nurses); and 2,026,890 workers in low-qualified occupations residing in Sweden in 2005 and followed them until the latest December 31, 2020. We estimated adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) for suicide and first suicide attempt.
Results
Compared to non-healthcare workers, higher risks for suicide were observed for several healthcare occupations, primarily those working with patient care (e.g., aHR physicians 1.57, 95% CI: 1.23–2.00, registered nurses 1.61, 95% CI: 1.37–1.88, assistant nurses 1.25, 95% CI: 1.17–1.34), rather than those in administrative roles (aHR high-qualified healthcare administrators 1.01 95% CI: 0.76–1.35). Among physicians, the risk was most apparent for psychiatrists (aHR 2.70, 95% CI: 1.21–6.03). For suicide attempts, the risks were primarily observed among registered nurses (aHR 1.22, 95% CI: 1.15–1.29) and assistant nurses (aHR 1.15, 95% CI: 1.12–1.18). Among healthcare workers, assistant nurses had the highest incidence rates for suicide (18.7/100,000 person-years) and suicide attempts (175.1/100,000 person-years).
Conclusions
Workers in several healthcare occupations showed a higher risk of suicide relative to non-healthcare workers with a similar occupational qualification level. Interventions may need to be developed to reduce the risk of suicidal behavior in these groups.
Summary
- Significant outcomes
○Healthcare workers in patient care roles, such as physicians, registered nurses, and assistant nurses, had significantly higher suicide risks compared to non-healthcare workers at a similar occupational qualification level.
○Among physicians, psychiatrists showed the highest suicide risk.
○Assistant nurses had the highest incidence rates for both suicide and suicide attempts among all healthcare occupations studied.
- Limitations
○No full history of participants’ working lives before the start of follow-up due to data unavailability.
○Only capture suicide attempts treated in secondary care, potentially missing less severe cases.
○No information on working conditions between occupations or individuals.
