A rise in suicides among medical residents at Iranian schools, revealed in an interview with the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) with Vahid Shariat, has highlighted a growing crisis within Iran's medical community.
Shariat, head of the Iranian Psychiatric Association, said in the interview dated February 18 that the Iranian Medical Council recorded 16 deaths over the past year among medical residents, a figure that is likely higher, he said, as the Health Ministry withholds "more accurate and extensive statistics."
"The ministry has more and more accurate statistics, which they consider confidential and do not make public," he said.
"Whenever there is a problem, before doing anything they make the statistics confidential or quickly deny them."
The rise in suicide rates among medical residents coincides with a mass exodus of medical staff from Iran.
Thousands of Iranian health professionals have left their homeland in recent years, mainly due to the country’s deepening economic crisis, difficult working conditions, and the lack of social and political freedoms.
Iranian media outlets estimate some 16,000 doctors, including specialists, have left the Islamic republic since 2020, leading to warnings of a public health-care crisis.
The exodus accelerated after the coronavirus pandemic, which took a heavy toll on health-care workers. Iran was one of the worst affected countries in the world, recording over 146,000 deaths.
The suicide issue has been described as "worrying" and a "significant problem for the medical community" by Mahmoud Fazel, head of the Supreme Council of the Medical System. In response, a committee has been established within the council to investigate the matter.
The occurrence of student suicides, particularly within those studying in the medical field, is not new in Iran, with media reports in recent years shedding light on the pressures faced by those pursuing such careers.
A recent study by the Psychiatric Association has found that the suicide rate within the medical community has seen a sharp increase in recent years. The research further highlights that, within a resident population of approximately 14,000, there is an average of 13 suicides annually.
Moreover, the study reveals a gender disparity in the suicide rates among doctors, with a 40 percent increase among males and a 130 percent increase among females compared with the general population.
Factors such as "work pressure" and "income level" have been identified by the Medical System Organization as significant stress factors for medical students.
The head of the Iranian Medical Council has termed the "emptying" of the country of its doctors a "serious" crisis, signaling a dire need for immediate and effective measures to safeguard the wellbeing of Iran's future medical professionals.