Physicians, lawyers and architects may be at a higher risk for suicide, according to a recent study.

Researchers from York University in Canada found that people whose occupations emphasize on precision, and also those in leadership roles are at higher risk for perfectionism-related suicide. The findings suggest that perfectionism is a bigger risk factor in suicide than initially thought.

More than one million people worldwide, including over 40,000 North Americans commit suicide on an annual basis, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's 2012 estimation.

"There is an urgent need for looking at perfectionism with a person-centered approach as an individual and societal risk factor, when formulating clinical guidelines for suicide risk assessment and intervention, as well as public health approaches to suicide prevention," researcher Gordon Flett said in a statement.

Based on their findings, the investigators are calling for closer attention to its potential destructiveness, adding that clinical guidelines should include perfectionism as a separate factor for suicide risk assessment and intervention.

Researchers document how being exposed to relentless demands to be perfect, a concept they refer to as socially prescribed perfectionism, is linked consistently with hopelessness and suicide. Other key themes discussed are: how perfectionistic self-presentation and self-concealment can lead to suicides that occur without warning; and how perfectionists often come up with thorough and precise suicide plans.

"We summarize data showing consistent links between perfectionism and hopelessness and discuss the need for an individualized approach that recognizes the heightened risk for perfectionists," Flett said. "They also tend to experience hopelessness, psychological pain, life stress, overgeneralization, and a form of emotional perfectionism that restricts the willingness to disclose suicidal urges and intentions."

The findings were published in the Review of General Psychology.