
Suicide by nurses: an update report (2011-2022)
Date of publication: December 2024
This report describes findings from an analysis of suicide by nurses and is an update to our previous report on female nurses, published in 2020. Here we present information on both female and male nurses who died by suicide, specifically:
- An examination of Office for National Statistics (ONS) data on nurses who died by suicide during a twelve-year period (2011-2022).
- A detailed analysis of nurses who died by suicide over an eleven-year period (2011-2021) using the NCISH database of people who died by suicide within 12 months of mental health service contact, including comparison with patients in other occupations
- An exploration of factors specific to female nurses who died by suicide in comparison with women in other occupations, and factors specific to male nurses in comparison with men in other occupations.
This brief study update was commissioned by NHS England.
Key messages
Common factors
In all nurses who had contact with mental health services, there was evidence of factors commonly associated with suicide in the general population, including depression, self-harm, and alcohol misuse. There was an indication that male nurses were more isolated than male patients in other occupations. Effective suicide prevention for nurses needs to maintain a focus on factors conventionally associated with suicide risk.
Workplace, financial, and personal problems
Adverse life events were common in all patients. Female nurses were more likely than women in other occupations to be experiencing economic adversity and workplace problems prior to death. These findings may reflect job-related features that contribute to increased suicide risk in this group.
Further study of self-poisoning needed
Self-poisoning among nurses was high. Both female and male nurses were more likely then women and men in other occupations to have died by self-poisoning. Knowledge about medication effects may directly add to the increased suicide risk in nurses.
Support for nurses
Despite working in a healthcare setting, rates of contact with mental health services in the 12-month period prior to death were low for nurses who died by suicide. This low rate of contact may suggest that nurses did not seek or make use of available help. Consideration should be given to dedicated access to mental health care for nurses, by creating a pathway for assessment and support.
COVID-19 pandemic
We found no evidence of a rise in suicide among nurses, overall or during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite evidence of increased pressures and distress. Continued vigilance is needed given ongoing effects of the pandemic in the context of workplace and economic pressures, and the ongoing increased suicide risk in this group.