Suicide Mortality Among Nurses in the United States: Incidence, Factors Associated with Suicide, Circumstances Preceding Suicide, and Methods of Suicide.

Abstract

The aim of this review was to identify and integrate evidence on suicide mortality among U.S. nurses. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first review to focus exclusively on suicide among U.S. nurses. Electronic medical databases, reference lists, and supplementary files were searched to identify studies that examined suicide mortality among U.S. nurses. In total, n = 28 studies were included: n = 14 were cohort, n = 10 were epidemiological, and n = 4 utilized mixed methods. Many studies had unique aims, included different nurse groups and referent populations, and utilized a variety of statistical procedures. However, when taken together, four categories were assessed across these n = 28 cumulative studies: incidence of suicide, factors associated with suicide, circumstances preceding suicide, and methods of suicide among U.S. nurses. Taken together, continued surveillance of suicide incidence among U.S. nurses is important, as evidence largely suggests nurses experience elevated suicide incidence when compared to select referent groups. Additional research on factors associated with suicide and circumstances preceding suicide are also needed, particularly among male nurses. Finally, additional research regarding the leading method of suicide, leading substance implicated in self-poisoning, and sex-differentiated suicide methods are also important. Collectively, these data are needed to inform intervention and surveillance strategies.