A study by the University of Hong Kong finds that high stress and heavy responsibility place nurses and policemen at higher risk of suicide than most other groups of employed people.

The study also concluded that those in nursing and police work place heavy emphasis on expectations that their role is helping others, but that very factor makes many in the two fields reluctant to seek help for themselves. The expections may even contribute to a stigma on the very notion of reaching out for help, said the study, conducted by the Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention.

Data from the Hong Kong coroners' court for the years 2003-2010 shows about 30 percent of people who take their own lives each year are employed. The overall suicide rate for 2010 was 13.6 per 100,000. For employed individuals, the suicide rate was significantly lower at 7.24 per 100,000. But among people who are employed, nurses and police showed relatively higher suicide rates than the average.

For nurses the suicide rate was 9.46 per 100,000. For police, it was slightly lower at 9.39, roughly 20 percent above average, said the centre.

"The two professions have high workloads and heavy pressure, and often have shift duty, in which they face high expectation from the public. Thus their own mental wellbeing may be at risk," said Paul Yip Siu-fai, professor of department of social work and social administration and director of the Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention at the University of Hong Kong.

Yip said, "The common characteristic is that they all play in help-providing roles in their routine work, which makes them face a greater sense of stigma about seeking help when they are in need. Yet they need help and support as much as other professionals."

Joseph Lee Kok-long, lawmaker for the health services sector and chairman of the Association of Hong Kong Nursing Staff said nurses have an immense work load caring for patients and often are called upon to do shift duty, adding their work makes them feel "unconnected" with family members and so they become more "isolated".

It was also noted that 54 percent of the nurses who took their lives were single. Heavy debt was shown to be a common risk factor among police officers who died by suicide.

Yip said, "we should pay attention to the mental wellbeing of professionals in help-providing roles, including nurses and police for they have difficulty seeking help from family, friends, colleagues and it is all the more important to foster a supportive environment that fights this stigma.

The center suggested there should be a better work-life balance to promote healthier mental well-being. It recommended that management level employees cultivate good relationships among colleagues, to be more supportive and sensitive to each other's needs. Yip added, mental health awareness should be promoted, including preparation of educational materials or organized talk on mental health.

fanfeifei@chinadailyhk.com

(HK Edition 09/12/2012 page1)