A University of Michigan study has indicated that suicide rates among female nurses were roughly double that of the female population as a whole.
The study, conducted using data from over 150 000 individuals including over 2 000 nurses gathered between 2007-2018, found a suicide incidence rate of 17.1 per 100 000 for female nurses, compared to just 8.6 per 100 000 for women as a whole.
The study thus indicated a significantly increased suicide risk for women within the nursing profession.
The study’s lead author, Associate Professor Matthew Davis, expressed shock at the results of the study.
“It’s much higher than I expected,” he said.
He noted that the unique demands placed on female nurses may have contributed heavily upon the study’s results. These demands include workplace stressors, childcare demands and issues around housework and education.
Co-author Christopher Freise also indicated concern over the results of the study, apportioning the group’s findings to the increasingly stressful nature of the profession.
“[H]ealth care systems are placing increased demands on nurses”, Freise said. “Even before COVID, nurses reported substantial workplace stressors, including reduced staffing, increased complexity of care and additional bureaucratic tasks”.
“You put the workplace and home stressors together and it’s no surprise that nurses are struggling”, he continued.
The authors recommended that further interventions be made to address the suicide risk associated with female nurses.