Actually that is the statistic I was thinking of (I read an article from a formerly-suicidal female doctor).

I assumed that the trend applied to males too but now I am quite curious as to why it does not apply.

Regional statistics would be helpful too- some have thought that Finns and Russians carry a genetic marker for suicidal tendencies.

Males die of suicide more often because they use more successful methods. It makes sense that a female doctor would be much more successful than the average female due to her education.

Most women use pills, men use guns.

Even when you control for method, men are more successful at suicide than women.

The ratio is just as lopsided with countries with strict gun control (e.g. Britain).

Alternative hypothesis: death is the goal for many men, while women often use suicide attempts as a cry for help.

Agreed. Randomly and anecdotally, I am reminded of Iris Chang, who was a famous author responsible for our knowledge of the Rape of Nanking.

Her cause of death was brutal, and she was going through immense pressure during her last research project. A self-influcted gunshot to the mouth sounds like a horrible way to go.

Perhaps it should read, "especially veterinarians."

> A 2014 federal Centers for Disease Control online survey of 10,000 practicing veterinarians published last year found that more than one in six American veterinarians has considered suicide.

The study: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6405a6.htm