Health and social care professionals have higher suicide rates than other professions or the general population. However, suicidality, i.e. suicidal ideation, planning, suicide attempts or completed suicide among these professionals, remains a largely under-investigated area, as previous studies have focused almost exclusively on doctors and nurses and have only concentrated on certain aspects such as depression or burnout. Conducted in seven cantons (Berne, Fribourg, Neuchâtel, Ticino, Valais, Vaud, and Zurich), the research project "Suicidality of health and social professionals: experiences, risk profiles and necessary support" aims to understand and describe the processes related to suicidality of health and social professionals and to identify the manifestations, dimensions, characteristics and factors associated with suicidality of these professionals, as well as the profiles of those most at risk. Various dimensions are studied, relating to both personal factors (socio-demographic characteristics, mental health, life trajectory/course) and collective factors (working environment and conditions, support provided, etc.). This research, which is based on a mixed methodology (interviews and questionnaire), will make it possible to produce knowledge, which is currently largely lacking, on the processes and dynamics that make health and social care professionals suicidal, as well as on the risk/protection factors and the profiles or sub-groups most concerned. On the basis of the results, targeted prevention and support measures, adapted to the situations of these professionals, to their level of risk and to their needs, will be proposed. The results will also be used in awareness-raising or training courses within basic or postgraduate courses or in institutions.
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