Suicide among Indian Medical Students and Professionals: A 3-year Exploratory Study Using Online Google Database (2020–2022)

Abstract

Abstract Background and Aims: Medical students and professionals are particularly susceptible to psychological distress due to various factors especially after COVID 19 pandemic. However, there is currently no robust reporting system for suicides among medical professionals in India. We aimed to explore the characteristics of suicide deaths among medical students and professionals in India over three years (2020–2022). Materials and Methods: We conducted a two-level retrospective analysis of online news report on suicide deaths among medical students and professionals from January 2020 to December 2022. Results: A total of 118 fatal suicides among MBBS students, postgraduates and working medical professionals were reported. More than 50 percent of the reported suicides were before the age of 30 years. The most common method used was hanging (49%) and the presence of mental illness (12%) was the commonest predictor of suicide among medical students and professionals. Conclusion: There is pressing need for a national suicide reporting system for medical students and professionals to formulate a stringent policy on suicide prevention for medical community.