Preventing EM Suicide
The Profession That Eats Its Own.
Emergency Medicine Is in Crisis.
We’re Losing Our Own. It Doesn’t Have to Be This Way.
The Crisis
Every year, hundreds of physicians, physician assistants, and emergency medicine professionals die by suicide—and many more silently suffer with depression, trauma, substance use, and burnout. Emergency clinicians face staggering rates of:
- Suicidal ideation
- Mental health disorders
- Substance misuse
- Career-ending stigma
- Moral injury and burnout
These are not isolated issues. They are symptoms of a broken system—and we’re finally talking about it.
PreventingEMSuicide.com is a movement created by emergency physicians, for emergency clinicians. We’re here to break the silence, collect the truth, and provide life-saving support for our colleagues.
Crisis Support
- Physician Support Line – 1-888-409-0141
Free, confidential mental health support from volunteer psychiatrists. No appointment needed. - 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – Dial or Text 988
24/7 confidential support in the U.S. - Emotional PPE Project – www.emotionalppe.org
Free therapists for frontline workers. - International Resources – Link to global suicide prevention helplines
Resources You Can Trust — For When You Need Them
About Us
Emergency medicine professionals are some of the most resilient, skilled, and committed individuals in healthcare. And yet—this specialty carries some of the highest rates of suicide and burnout in the entire medical field.
The Stats:
- Physicians die by suicide at 1.5x the rate of the general population
- For women physicians, that rate is 2.1x higher
- For emergency physicians, cancer and trauma is the #1 and 2 causes of death
- The average age of death for male EM physicians is 58
- The average retirement age for women in EM is just 42
These are not just numbers. They are the lives and losses of colleagues, mentors, friends, and neighbors.
The causes are complex, but patterns are clear:
- Moral injury from providing care in broken systems
- Chronic sleep deprivation and erratic scheduling
- Isolation, stigma, and fear of losing licensure
- Exposure to trauma without debrief or support
- Inaccessible, unaffordable, or career-risking mental health care
We don’t need more resilience training.
We need honesty. We need each other. And we need change.