Suicide rates

[Catfood Purrito]

A friend of mine just told me that dentists have the highest rate of suicide than any other profession. He logged off before I could get a source for that. Would anyone know if this is true? I work in a dental office, with probably 20 or so dentists, and they all seem pretty well-adjusted to me, and I don't get what would be so depressing about teeth. Anyway, I always heard it was psychiatrists, which makes more sense to me.

Thoughts? Comments? Flog the newbie?

[Osip]

flog the newbie? *perk*
that got my attention.

I have heard this same thing. I think it is a line from a movie actually.
I have no facts to back that up. Hell, I can't remember last week at times.
I am sure the masses here will find you an answer.

[Boris B]

Just go over to the Pit and ask them what's the other word that ends in -g-r-y.

I think this column might help:
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/msuicide.html

[Little Nemo]

Prison guards supposedly have a high suicide rate (according to the mailbag question)? That's one I haven't heard before. Having worked with several thousand prison guards, I've only heard of three who committed suicide (and one may have been murdered, the circumstances were somewhat ambiguous).

[samclem]

"They're always looking down in the mouth"

I read that in a joke book in, oh..., 1955.

[C K Dexter Haven]

Nemo, I guess one question is what your work with prison guards IS, and do you see a truly random sample?

However, please note that the Mailbag Answer cites about 139 suicides per million amongst guards... That's a very small percentage. If you've worked with 10,000 guards, and their suicide rates were in line with the statistics quoted in the article, that'd be only 1 or 2 expected suicides. So if you've worked with fewer than 10,000 guards and have seen two (or three) suicides, that's probably a pretty high rate.