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Mental health
Protocol
Prevalence and factors associated with suicide among medical professionals in low/middle-income countries: a systematic review protocol
  1. Godfrey Zari Rukundo1,2,
  2. Helen Byakwaga3,
  3. Alison Kinengyere4,
  4. Achille Mwira Bapolisi1,
  5. Miriela Betancourt5,
  6. Dickens Akena6,7
  1. 1 Department of Psychiatry, Mbarara University of Science and Technology Faculty of Medicine, Mbarara, Uganda
  2. 2 African Centre for Suicide Prevention and Research, Mbaarara University, Mbarara, Uganda
  3. 3 Department of Community Health, Mbarara University of Science and Technology Faculty of Medicine, Mbarara, Uganda
  4. 4 Albert Cook Library, Makerere College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
  5. 5 Department of Physiology, Mbarara University of Science and Technology Faculty of Medicine, Mbarara, Uganda
  6. 6 Department of Psychiatry, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
  7. 7 Africa Centre for Systematic Reviews, Kampala, Uganda
  1. Correspondence to Dr Godfrey Zari Rukundo; grukundo{at}must.ac.ug

Abstract

Introduction A number of studies in low/middle-income countries (LMICs) have reported varying prevalence of suicide among medical professionals with low rates. This may be because of the methods used in suicide assessment and the stigma associated with it. For this study, the prevalence of suicidal ideation, attempt and completed suicide, as well as the factors associated with suicidality and methods used during suicidal acts, will be documented.

Methods and analysis Studies published in peer-reviewed journals in which the prevalence and factors associated with suicidal ideation, attempt and completion among medical professionals in LMICs will be included. The Cochrane Library (CENTRAL), PsychINFO, PubMed and Embase will be systematically searched. We will search for all the papers available in the databases up to March 31 2019. Methodological quality of the articles will be assessed using the quality in prognostic studies tool. The risk of bias of the articles will be assessed using Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool for non-randomised studies. In the event of no statistical heterogeneity, a meta-analysis of the findings will be conducted.

Ethics and dissemination Ethical permission will not be required since this work does not involve the use of participant data that can be used to identify individuals. Findings from this study will be available for clinicians and other medical professionals, scientists and policy makers. On request, a data set of the study can be provided.

Trial registration number CRD42018095990.

  • suicide
  • suicidal attempt
  • suicidal ideation
  • LMIC
  • medical professionals

This is an open access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited, appropriate credit is given, any changes made indicated, and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.

https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-028884

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors All authors have significantly contributed to the writing of this protocol. In addition, they will have the roles described here below. Content expert: GZR, psychiatrist with a PhD in suicidology. Search strategist, AK will do the screening by title and also write part of the methods section and the PRISMA flow chart. Data abstraction and extraction and entry: MB, neurophysiologist and AMB, a psychiatrist. DA, a psychiatrist and systematic review specialist based at the African Centre for Systematic Reviews and Knowledge Translation. DA participated in the writing and revision of the protocol. He will participate in literature, analysis and data interpretation. HB, an expert in meta-analysis will lead the assessment for heterogeneity and meta-analysis.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Patient consent for publication Not required.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.