Medical Student Suicides; Ministry of Health Forms Special Committee

Warning: Contains content related to suicide. Nothing is more important than human life. If you are thinking about suicide, please contact the following special numbers for help: In Iran: Social Emergency 123, Consultant Voice 1480, or Tehran Psychiatric Emergency 44508200. In the USA: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 18002738255, or National Crisis and Suicide Prevention Line 988. In Canada: Number 911 or 18334564566. In the UK: 116123. The Iran Watch website reported on Thursday, January 31, that after 'several cases of suicide among medical students' were recorded, at the request of the Deputy Minister of Education of the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education, a special committee has been formed to investigate the causes of these suicides. The website did not specify the timing of these 'several cases of suicide' but noted that with the formation of this committee, the heads of medical universities and their educational deputies are required to take necessary, continuous, and close actions to prevent suicides among students and assistants. According to Iran Watch, experts in this field have evaluated the implementation of this order as 'an effective step in reducing psychological pressures and improving the educational and academic conditions of students and medical assistants.' This comes at a time when similar committees or headquarters have been formed in the past for other issues, which have not been very effective. 'Resident suicides' have repeatedly made headlines in recent years, and Iranian media have superficially addressed them with titles such as sudden death and voluntary end of life. However, the few published reports also indicate a critical situation in this sector; a situation that has forced the Ministry of Health to form a 'special committee.' In July of this year, 'Khabar Online' reported that the suicides of medical residents were 'in a critical condition' and wrote: 'The increase in the number of these suicides coincides with the indifference of officials to the situation of medical residents, low wages in the face of heavy responsibilities, and work pressures beyond their capacity, ringing alarm bells in this area.' Previously, the Deputy Minister of Education had announced in January of last year the establishment of a 'Monitoring Committee for the Assistant Charter' and claimed that the Ministry of Health had prepared a guideline specifying the working hours, the number of shifts, and how long an assistant should stay in the hospital after a shift. Accordingly, it seems that previous actions in this area have not been effective, and concerns remain. Concerns that are highlighted by the statements of Nima Shahryarpoor, an emergency medicine specialist at Baharloo Hospital in Tehran, in an interview with Khabar Online. He stated, 'The suicide crisis among residents is more serious and beyond the public's imagination compared to the country's population. This is not just a claim or estimate, but the result of a comprehensive study by the Medical Association of Tehran University, which found that in a resident community of 204 people, more than 93% of them, that is, 188 people, suffered from 'burnout' and harbored suicidal thoughts.' This specialist added that a working group from the Psychiatry Association in the Medical System Organization, after examining the mental health status of 253 psychiatric residents, announced that the psychological pressure on this population is more serious than is assumed. According to Mr. Shahryarpoor, based on the conducted studies, the suicide rate in the medical community has increased by 3.1 to 5 times. In the resident population, which is equivalent to 14,000 individuals, an average of 13 suicides resulting in death occur annually. Findings show that the suicide rate among male doctors has increased by 40% and among female doctors by 130% compared to the general population, which is a significant and concerning figure. Previously, the spokesperson for the Iranian Medical System Organization acknowledged the increase in the suicide rate in the medical community, stating that 'very high workloads and the disproportionate salaries received compared to the activities performed' are among the reasons for the suicides of residents and mentioned that these suicides are 'multifaceted and multidimensional.' The Iranian Scientific Association of Psychiatrists also expressed concern about the high suicide rates among residents last January, stating that the continuation of this trend could lead to the 'collapse of the health system.'