September is Suicide Prevention Month and Sept. 17 was National Physician Suicide Awareness Day. More than half of physicians know a physician who has considered, attempted or died by suicide.

We can all help prevent physician suicide by helping to promote evidence-based resources that support physician wellbeing and mental health, and shifting the paradigm from a system where mental health concerns are an individual burden to overcome to one where we see a support system around us.

• Help a peer: This toolkit from the American Medical Association outlines how to identify and support at-risk physicians.
• Help a patient: This AMA toolkit can provide insight into how your practice or system can effectively identify and treat patients at risk of suicide, including specific guidance on child and adolescent care.
• Change your practice or system: The newly revamped AMA STEPS Forward® toolkit, “Assessment of Clinician Burnout: Construct a Process to Measure Burnout and Improve Well-Being,” lays out six steps with practical actions that organizations and leaders can take to move down the path to protecting physicians from some of the most damaging effects of work stressors.
• Spread the word: The Doc2Doc Wellbeing Consulting Program, brought to you by the Colorado Medical Society and the Colorado Physician Health Program, provides three free, one-hour, confidential, pre-clinical peer wellbeing consultation sessions for any Colorado physician or medical student. Call 720-810-9131 to reach a masters-level licensed clinician and schedule a confidential follow-up with a peer physician. All calls are confidential to the fullest extent of the law.
• Educate yourself and others about suicide prevention: Learn the warning signs and risk factors for suicide, how to support someone who may be considering suicide, and share the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.