- 13 November 2023
- 2 min read
Why Are Female Nurses At A Higher Risk Of Suicide?
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“Suicide is a serious issue for the nursing workforce… Nursing staff contribute so much to our society, but too often it comes at a personal cost” - Stephen Jones, RCN Professional Lead for Mental Health NursingAccording to the Office for National Statistics, the rate of suicide among female nurses is 23% higher compared with women in the general population.
A new study, ‘Suffering with suicide’, is seeking to comprehend the reasons behind the higher suicide rate among female nurses.
The study is being funded by an award from the Wellcome Trust and will be conducted by researchers from the University of Surrey.
It is the first time that work specifically exploring issues faced by female nurses in the context of suicide will have been undertaken.
Do you think that such an investigation is long overdue, given that 89 out of every 100 nurses registered with the NMC are women?
"High suicide rates in female nurses have been documented for more than 20 years in the UK and other high-income countries, yet workplace practices, policies and research have failed to address the realities and contexts of nurses’ lives", explained Dr Ruth Riley, the leader of the study.
She added: "In providing a new perspective, we hope to understand the contexts and experiences contributing to distress and suicidality while providing a voice and platform for under-represented nurses."
"Suicide is a serious issue for the nursing workforce… Nursing staff contribute so much to our society, but too often it comes at a personal cost” - Stephen Jones, RCN Professional Lead for Mental Health Nursing.
Do you think the study will highlight failings on the part of healthcare employers to fully support their employees? And if so, will this prove a wake-up call to employers to focus more on staff wellbeing?
The Laura Hyde Foundation, a charity providing mental health support to medical and emergency services personnel, said it hoped the study would help save lives in the future.
The charity’s trustee chair Liam Barnes said: "Anything that allows employers to understand the root cause of suicidal ideation is extremely welcome, so proactive support options can be provided before these conditions manifest into tragic circumstances.
"Healthcare workers are unlikely to ask for help compared to the general population due to stigma. Circumstances around work-life balance, impact of work pressures on family and workplace bullying affect women more than men, but this needs to be investigated further to allow us to save lives" he explained.
Do you agree with Liam Barnes? Is there a stigma around healthcare workers asking for help? If so, to what extent do you think the social and professional pressures on healthcare workers are to blame?
Please let us know what you think in the comments.
In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123 or by visiting https://www.samaritans.org
About this contributor
Nurses.co.uk Founder
I launched Nurses.co.uk (and subsequently Socialcare.co.uk, Healthjobs.co.uk and Healthcarejobs.ie) in 2008. 600 applications are made every day via our jobs boards, helping to connect hiring organisations recruiting for clinical, medical, care and support roles with specialist job seekers. Our articles, often created by our own audience, shine a light on the career pathways in healthcare, and give a platform to ideas and opinions around their work and jobs.
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Log In Subscribe to commentRebecca Green
Rebecca Green
one year agoBullying is likely a factor. It's rife in the NHS, and is a risk for suicide. Also feeling trapped in ... read more
Bullying is likely a factor. It's rife in the NHS, and is a risk for suicide. Also feeling trapped in a job that's burning you out and no idea what other employment you could do, especially as you get older and it stops being realistic, due to the physical demands of the job, to stay in nursing until a retirement age of now 67/68 years. But also not easy to change careers in your mid fifties when you start to realise this.
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Lois C
Lois C
one year agoI believe this is the case. It also depends on the employer. There is still a stigma around nurses with ... read more
I believe this is the case. It also depends on the employer. There is still a stigma around nurses with mental health problems. As we know with mental health, it can be a bit tricky. For some people, they will need time to recuperate or breathe which would involve them to need some time off. Some employers are very understanding and supportive while others are not. I think in general, nurses are expected to “man up” with regards to their mental health. This is probably the reason why a lot of nurses with mental health problems suffer in silence. Another reason is the workload, feeling undervalued and not being heard when voicing out opinions.
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Agreed. Yes, if we can let people voice their experiences it will no doubt go some way to making a bad situation better. Thanks Lois.
Carol Robson
Carol Robson
one year agoHi yes I believe regarding the high incidence of suicied amongst nurses is the factor that nurses join this profession ... read more
Hi yes I believe regarding the high incidence of suicied amongst nurses is the factor that nurses join this profession with a deep understanding of the needs of their patients they can often empathise due to personal experience for example I was born with a congenital deformity I work with young people in the same position not for financial resons but because I know how lucky I am not to be worse than i am. I married had children lived a life.
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