National Physician Suicide Awareness Day is Sept. 17

August 31, 2020 5:29 PM | Deleted user

Thursday, September 17, 2020, marks the 3rd annual National Physician Suicide Awareness Day. This year’s theme, One of Us, is meant to remind us that suicide can affect anyone... our families, our friends, our colleagues.

The Wisconsin Chapter, American College of Emergency Physicians, is proudly among numerous organizations across the country who support the event, which was created to honor the memory of physicians who have died by suicide and to continue to raise awareness and discussion on how to prevent it. 

Join us and Support National Physician Suicide Awareness Day at your work setting:

  • Create a safe space by dedicating time to talk about mental health and suicide.  Setaside time at your morning report, morning huddle or faculty meeting to discuss physician mental health, depression and suicide. This allows your group to speak freely about it without a spotlight on them personally.
  • Say the names of your colleagues who have died by suicide. Remember them, honor their memory, share stories and lessons learned. 
  • Be vulnerable and a role-model for your colleagues and trainees. Physicians are notoriously constricted in sharing their own emotions and experiences which may contribute to the higher rates of burnout, depression and suicide rate. Start the conversation and break the ice. By role-modeling vulnerability, you are helping to change the culture in medicine.   
  • Identify and promote access to mental health. Review and share how mental health care and resources are addressed and accessed locally.