Date of Conferral

7-10-2026

Date of Award

July 2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Health Sciences

Advisor

Magdeline Aagard

Abstract

Suicide is a global public health issue that affects all ages, genders, races, and social classes. Although suicide rates are higher among health care providers than in the general public, there is a gap in the literature regarding the suicidal risk factors of physician assistants (PAs), who increasingly provide health care in the United States. The aim of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to explore the association between anxiety, burnout, and depression and the stress-reducing benefits of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), as well as the dependent variable suicidality among PAs in the United States. A self-directed questionnaire incorporated psychometrically validated tools to assess the independent variables (anxiety, depression, and burnout), along with the demographic variables (age, race, and gender), and the dependent variable of suicidality as defined by the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale. The transactional model of stress and coping was the framework that aligned with the study variables. A total of N = 128 full-time PAs completed a quantitative survey. The findings indicated that depression had the strongest correlation to suicidality in this population, accounting for 33.7 % of the variance in this model (r = .511, p < .001). Suicidality was reported by over 13.3% of respondents in this survey. MBIs did not appear to alleviate anxiety or depression. The results underscore the urgent need for education regarding suicide prevention, self-care, and preserving mental health among PAs. Developing resilience programs that integrate mental health support into PA training, establish peer support groups, and create additional resources is essential for preventing PA suicidality.

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