Deaths of Despair Among Healthcare Workers, Massachusetts, 2011 to 2015

Objective: To explore mortality rates and trends according to the occupation of healthcare workers who died from the deaths of despair (DoD).

Methods: Death certificates for deaths from 2011 to 2015 due to poisonings, suicides, alcholic liver disease and cirrhosis were collected and coded based on the decedent's occupation. Mortality rates and rate ratios were calculated according to occupations for healthcare workers.

Results: There were 540 DoDs among Massachusetts healthcare workers, accounting for an average annual rate of 32.4 deaths per 100,000 workers. The highest mortality rate for DoDs were among medical assistants; nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides; miscellaneous; health technologists and technicians; emergency medical technicians, and paramedics.

Conclusions: Further research should examine factors contributing to elevated rates for DoDs among healthcare workers. Interventions targeted for these workers should be developed.