2009 Volume 49 Issue 7 Pages 827-837
Objectives: We examined risk factors of suicide in nursing staff for prevention of healthcare worker suicide in Saga Prefecture, Japan. Subjects: Eighty-three nurses who participated in the education program of mental health management held by Saga Nursing Association on June, 30, 2007 and 10 post-graduate students of master course in nursing in a university who had a lecture on mental health management in workplace on October, 1, 2007. Subjects were total 93 nurses. Method: We distributed self-administered questionnaires concerning suicide of medical staff colleagues to the subjects and collected them after the lectures. Results: The collection rate was 91.4% (85 nurses), and the response rate was 100%. The number of nurses who experienced the suicide of colleague nurses was eight. Eleven nurses attempted suicide, 4 nurses died, and 7 nurses survived. Most of the nurses who committed suicide were in their 20's (81.8%), and 63.6% of the nurses who committed suicide were working in the hospital less than 5 years. Ninety point nine percent of the nurses were single and 72.7% were working in the shift-work system. Among the chief reasons for suicide included problems of interpersonal relationship in job, and love affairs with opposite sex. Conclusion: Mental health management of young nurses was considered very important for prevention of suicide. Especially, young nursing staff who have been at work less than 5 years needed support for their mental health.
