DESESPERANÇA E IDEAÇÃO SUICIDA ENTRE ANESTESIOLOGISTAS, NO BRASIL. UM INQUÉRITO ELETRÔNICO NACIONAL

Abstract

Introduction: Healthcare professionals, especially anesthesiologists, constitute a highrisk group for suicidal behaviors, combining specific occupational characteristics with easy access to lethal means. Anesthesiology is a medical specialty that demands high technical precision, rapid decision-making, and operation in environments of constant pressure. Professionals in this field face occupational characteristics that exacerbate specific psychological vulnerabilities. Understanding the prevalence and factors associated with hopelessness and suicidal ideation in anesthesiologists is essential for public policies of prevention and care. Objective: To investigate the prevalence of hopelessness and suicidal ideation among active Brazilian anesthesiologists, as well as to identify associated demographic, occupational, and mental health contexts. Materials and methods: This is a national cross-sectional and analytical electronic survey. Sociodemographic, occupational, and clinical data were collected from anesthesiologists from all Brazilian regions, applying the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) and the Beck Suicide Ideation Scale (BSI). Comparative analyses used Mann-Whitney and KruskalWallis tests. Binary logistic regression in hierarchical blocks identified risk and protective factors. Results: The sample, comprised of 920 anesthesiologists, showed a male predominance (58.0%), a mean age of 47.1 ± 11.7 years, and a predominance of Millennials (48.4%) and Generation X (35.1%). The prevalence of hopelessness was 37.1% (mild to severe). Among those evaluated, 52.8% exhibited suicidal ideation, of which 40.8% were between mild and severe levels and 4.4% were intense. 4.6% of participants reported a suicide attempt. Hopelessness was strongly associated with suicidal ideation (p < 0.001). In the logistic regression for severe ideation, protective factors were: having children (OR = 0.540; p < 0.001, 46% reduction), and anxiety (OR = 0.580; p = 0.047). Risk factors included: weekly hours > 60h (OR = 1.434; p < 0.001), psychiatric condition (OR = 2.876; p < 0.001), and depression (OR = 2.219; p = 0.003). The ROC curve identified a BSI cutoff point ≥ 5 with an AUC = 0.89 (sensitivity 81%, specificity 79%) for predicting suicide attempts. Conclusion: This study identified high prevalence of hopelessness and suicidal ideation among Brazilian anesthesiologists. Psychiatric factors, particularly depression, emerged as independent predictors. Paradoxically, having children, and the presence of anxiety acted as protective factors. The findings reinforce the urgency of institutionalized policies for psychological support, reduced working hours, and periodic screening programs for suicide prevention in this population.