In a new national study from UC San Diego Health, researchers found that nurses who lose a nursing position or leave the profession because of substance use, mental health issues, or chronic pain are at an increased risk for death by suicide. When compared to the general population, nurses in the United States unfortunately have a higher rate of death by suicide mainly due to the nature of their work being increasingly challenging.
The study, which looked at suicide rates from 2003 to 2017, argues that the process of transitioning a nurse to unemployment warrants new processes to include suicide prevention. This includes offering treatment for mental health issues, earlier prevention in work-related inquiries and improved treatment options for chronic pain.
The full study can be found, here: https://www.journalofnursingregulation.com/article/S2155-8256(21)00017-X/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email
Judy Davidson, DNP, RN, nurse scientist with UC San Diego Health, is available to discuss the findings of the paper and how individuals can seek help.
