Document Type

Presentation

Publication Date

8-17-2009

Abstract

THE SAD STATE OF HEALTH CARE IN NEW MEXICO: HEATHCARE WORKER SUICIDE IN NEW MEXICO 2004-2005. KL Bradley*, KD Martinez*, MB Barry**, S Lathrop**, K Fraser***, and K Peters**** * University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, ** New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator, Albuquerque, NM, *** University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Albuquerque, NM, **** New Mexico Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics, Santa Fe, NM PURPOSE. To determine if there is a statistically significant relationship between suicide and the healthcare occupations in New Mexico for the years 2004-2005. METHODS. We collected suicide and occupational data from the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator and the N.M. Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics for the years 2004-2005. Other data collected included race, age, veteran status, county of occurrence and residence, location, method, presence of suicide note, toxicology, and psychiatric, medical and other risk factors. Statistical analysis was performed on the data collected. RESULTS. Our database included 658 suicides, including 34 healthcare worker suicides during this two-year period. The suicide rate for healthcare workers (HCWs) in 2004 was higher than the suicide rate of the New Mexico adult population. The suicide rate for HCWs in 2005 was lower than that of the New Mexico adult population. There were significantly more women among the healthcare workers who committed suicide than among the non-healthcare workers. The most commonly represented healthcare professionals among the HCWs who committed suicide were: Nurses, Home Health Aides, Obstetrician/Gynecologists, Laboratory Technicians, Social Workers, and Medical Assistants. Healthcare workers who committed suicide in New Mexico in 2004 and 2005 were 3.7 times more likely to commit suicide by ingesting or injecting medication than the non-healthcare workers who committed suicide during this time frame. CONCLUSION. This study demonstrates that healthcare workers, particularly females, had a higher rate of suicide that the NM adult population in 2004, but not it 2005. Thus, we cannot comment on a trend at this time. Further investigation would be useful in determining the presence of a trend and guiding prevention efforts.

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