More than 49,000 people died by suicide in 2022, according to the CDC, the largest number ever recorded in the United States in one year. As nurses struggle with fatigue and burnout amid workforce shortages, September, Suicide Prevention Month, is a great reminder to keep check on our and our colleagues’ mental health.
Anyone can be subject to suicidal thoughts. No matter your age, race, ethnicity, gender, or background. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), suicide is often caused by an untreated mental health condition. While everyone suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers were subjected to an added level of emotional and physical duress due to the nature of their jobs. Some are still working, some retired or started new careers, and some didn’t make it through.
ICU nurse Michael Odell was just 27 years old when he apparently took his life in January 2022. Odell was working at Stanford Health Care and had expressed being deeply affected by the pandemic. Good friend and roommate Joshua Paredes told National Public Radio in a March 2022 interview that Odell had discussed the difficulty of working during the pandemic. “He was these patients’ everything… He was there when they were dying,” said Paredes. In response to Odell’s tragic passing, his friends and colleagues created Don’t Clock Out, a 501(c)(3) providing peer support and mental health services to nurses and healthcare workers. Their motto is “You are your most important patient.”
Even before the pandemic, a study showed that compared to the general public, there was an increased suicide risk for nurses. The study, based on data collected between 2007 and 2018, included 2374 nurses, 857 physicians, and 156141 individuals from the general public.
Be Aware, Stay Informed
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) lists the following warning signs and factors for suicide risk.
Warning Signs
- Increased alcohol and drug use
- Aggressive behavior
- Withdrawal from family, friends, and community
- Collecting and saving pills or buying a weapon
- Giving away possessions
- Tying up loose ends; organizing accounts, paying off debt
- Saying goodbye to friends and family
Risk Factors
- Family history of suicide
- Substance abuse
- Intoxication
- Access to firearms
- Serious or chronic mental illness
- Gender (more women attempt suicide, but men are 4 times more likely to die by suicide)
- History of trauma or abuse
- Prolonged stress
- A recent tragedy or loss
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988.
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