September 17 is National Physician Suicide Awareness Day: Let’s Take Action

September 12, 2024

September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and National Physician Suicide Awareness Day (#NPSADay) is observed on Tuesday, September 17.  

The day is dedicated to breaking the silence around mental health issues in the medical community, encouraging open dialogue, and taking proactive steps to prevent physician suicide. It serves as both a reminder and a call to action: you must make time to talk, to listen, and to act—so that your colleagues’ struggles don’t escalate into crises. 

The MMA is a proud supporter of #NPSADay and is committed to fostering a culture of well-being in the medical profession. This commitment includes prioritizing burnout prevention, ensuring job satisfaction, and promoting the view that seeking mental health support is a sign of strength—not weakness. 

The MMA has many resources and activities available to improve professional satisfaction and well-being. The MMA is currently leading a multi-disciplinary effort to create and launch a peer-to-peer education and support campaign. It’s designed to leverage the power of peer-to-peer communication to help break down the stigma in help-seeking. Watch News Now for more information about this work. 

This spring, the MMA’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved a comprehensive set of recommendations to accelerate physician well-being across the state. Work is underway now to advance these recommendations. In addition, the MMA actively shares resources aimed at improving physician well-being, including suicide prevention tools, tips for initiating important conversations about mental health, and crisis management strategies. The MMA Foundation also offers free, physician-led suicide prevention training to all MMA members, further underscoring the MMA’s dedication to this critical issue.  

The MMA encourages you to recognize #NPSADay by visiting NPSADay.org, where you can find valuable information and discover ways to get involved. It’s essential that we shift the practice landscape to better support our colleagues, reduce burnout, and remove barriers to accessing mental health services. 

There are seven key actions you can take to help reduce physician burnout and prevent mental health emergencies: 

1. Learn the vital signs 

2. Encourage mental health reflection 

3. Share suicide prevention resources 

4. Prepare before a crisis 

5. Check in with a colleague 

6. Remove intrusive mental health questions 

7. Create a culture of well-being 

Remember, everyone has a role in reducing physician suicide. Take action today—because the health of our community depends on the well-being of its physicians. Learn more at NPSADay.org.