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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 Aug 10.
Published in final edited form as: Am J Prev Med. 2015 Mar 17;48(6):674–682. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2014.12.011

Suicide in U.S. Workplaces, 2003–2010

A Comparison With Non-Workplace Suicides

Hope M Tiesman 1, Srinivas Konda 1, Dan Hartley 1, Cammie Chaumont Menéndez 1, Marilyn Ridenour 1, Scott Hendricks 1
PMCID: PMC4530968  NIHMSID: NIHMS712349  PMID: 25794471

Abstract

Introduction

Suicide rates have risen considerably in recent years. National workplace suicide trends have not been well documented. The aim of this study is to describe suicides occurring in U.S. workplaces and compare them to suicides occurring outside of the workplace between 2003 and 2010.

Methods

Suicide data originated from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injury database and the Web-Based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System. Suicide rates were calculated using denominators from the 2013 Current Population Survey and 2000 U.S. population census. Suicide rates were compared among demographic groups with rate ratios and 95% CIs. Suicide rates were calculated and compared among occupations. Linear regression, adjusting for serial correlation, was used to analyze temporal trends. Analyses were conducted in 2013–2014.

Results

Between 2003 and 2010, a total of 1,719 people died by suicide in the workplace. Workplace suicide rates generally decreased until 2007 and then sharply increased (p=0.035). This is in contrast with non-workplace suicides, which increased over the study period (p=0.025). Workplace suicide rates were highest for men (2.7 per 1,000,000); workers aged 65–74 years (2.4 per 1,000,000); those in protective service occupations (5.3 per 1,000,000); and those in farming, fishing, and forestry (5.1 per 1,000,000).

Conclusions

The upward trend of suicides in the workplace underscores the need for additional research to understand occupation-specific risk factors and develop evidence-based programs that can be implemented in the workplace.

Introduction

Suicide remains a serious concern, both in the U.S. and globally.1 Suicide is responsible for nearly one million deaths annually, including more than 36,000 Americans.2,3 Suicide rates have risen considerably in the U.S., and in 2009, suicides surpassed motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of injury mortality.4 Besides the devastating emotional impacts on the victim’s family and friends, suicides are costly. On average, suicides result in an estimated $45 billion in worker loss and medical costs every year in the U.S.5 Even though these are substantial numbers, there are several interventions and approaches that have been shown to significantly impact suicide rates. These include educating physicians to screen and recognize clinical depression, restricting access to lethal means, and educating important “gatekeepers” who have contact with potentially vulnerable populations.6

Many sociodemographic, medical, and economic factors have been examined in relation to suicide risk. The literature on occupation and suicide, albeit somewhat limited, has consistently identified several occupations to be at high risk for suicide: farmers,7–10 medical doctors,11,12 law enforcement officers,13–16 and soldiers.17–19 One hypothesis that may explain the increased suicide risk among specific occupations is the availability and access to lethal means, such as drugs for medical doctors and firearms for law enforcement officers.20 Workplace stressors and economic factors have also been found to be linked with suicide in these occupations.21

Although the literature on occupation and suicide is limited, there is even less research examining suicides that occur in U.S. workplaces. There are several reasons why an individual may consider suicide in the workplace. For example, attempting suicide in the workplace would protect family and friends from discovering the deceased individual in a home environment. Recent literature has shown that the 2008 global economic crisis is linked with increased suicide rates in European and North American countries, and it is important to ascertain if these suicide trends extend into the workplace.22 Therefore, the purpose of this article is to enumerate suicides occurring in U.S. workplaces between 2003 and 2010 and compare workplace trends to suicides occurring outside of the workplace using nationally representative data sources.

Methods

Data Sources

Suicides occurring in U.S. workplaces between 2003 and 2010 were obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Census of Fatal Occupational Injury (CFOI) database. The CFOI compiles data on all fatal work-related injuries occurring to non-institutionalized people on the premises of their employer or working off-site. In addition to death certificate data, the CFOI uses multiple administrative and public records, including workers’ compensation reports, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigation reports, medical examiner reports, news media, and police reports. These data originated from restricted access research files under a memorandum of agreement between BLS and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Annual denominator data for rate calculations were extracted from the 2013 BLS Current Population Survey (CPS). The CPS includes data on 60,000 civilians aged ≥15 years who are non-institutionalized wage and salary workers, the self-employed, part-time workers, or unpaid workers in family enterprises in order to create nationally representative workforce estimates.23 Workers aged ≤15 years were removed from the CPS and CFOI prior to analysis. This research project was exempt from IRB because it involved decedents.

Prior to analyses, military occupations (Standard Occupational Classification Code 55) were removed. This was done because the CPS does not include military personnel, so rates could not be calculated. Also, inclusion criteria for the CFOI is different from those for Department of Defense (DoD) or Veterans Affairs (VA) databases that are used to track military fatalities. CFOI does not include fatalities on foreign soil or suicides that occur while individuals are not on duty. Therefore, it is likely that the number of CFOI military suicides is an underestimate. Because of this uncertainty in both the numerator and denominator, this occupational group was excluded.

Suicides occurring outside of the workplace were obtained from CDC’s Web-Based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting Systems (WISQARS) database.24 These were termed “non-workplace” suicides. WISQARS data are compiled by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) using national death certificate data from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS).25 The online WISQARS database also contains population counts based on U.S. census data, which were used for rate calculations.26 Suicides and suicide rates were obtained for age, race, sex, year, and cause of injury categories.26 Prior to analysis, counts of CFOI workplace suicides were removed from WISQARS counts to avoid double-counting fatalities. Also, suicides among those aged r15 years were removed. Because specific age ranges were used, suicide rates were not age adjusted.

Definitions

The CFOI uses Occupational Injury and Illness Classifıcation System (OIICS) codes to classify the nature of injury, body part affected, source of injury, and injury event.27 Workplace suicides were selected using the following event codes: 6200, self-inflicted injury, unspecified; 6210, suicide, attempted suicide; and 6220, self-inflicted injury/fatality, intent unknown. Additionally, all non-classifiable events (codes 9000) were manually examined to include missed or misclassified suicides. No additional cases were added. Major and minor occupational groups were defined using the 2000 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system, which classifies occupations based on performed work, education, training, and credentials.28 A list of the 2000 SOC codes can be found here: www.bls.gov/soc/2000/socguide.htm#LINK2.

Non-workplace suicides were selected from WISQARS using the intent/manner of injury variable. Cause-of-death data were based on information from death certificates completed by attending physicians, medical examiners, or coroners.24 These were precoded using the ICD-10 (X60.0–X84.9, Y87.0, and U03).29

Statistical Analysis

Data were analyzed in 2013–2014. Workplace suicide rates for 2003–2010 were calculated as the total number of suicides divided by the estimated number of workers and expressed as the number of fatalities per 1,000,000 workers per year. Non-workplace suicide rates were calculated using population-level census data as the denominator. Sociodemographics of the decedent (age, race, and ethnicity) were compared with rate ratios (RRs) and 95% CIs. Suicide rates were calculated and compared between major and minor occupations. Autoregressive models were used to assess trends of suicide rates and account for serial correlation inherent with time series data. A first-order autoregressive error structure, AR(1), was assumed for the autoregressive models. Durbin–Watson statistics using the residuals of the fitted models were evaluated to ensure that serial correlation was sufficiently accounted for in the AR(1) model. As the Durbin–Watson statistic for all trend models evaluated with an AR(1) error structure were non-significant, no higher-order autoregressive models were considered. Linear and quadratic models were assessed to determine the best fit to the workplace and non-workplace suicide data. The p-value of the quadratic parameter for year was evaluated to determine if it provided a better fit for the trend analysis than a linear parameter. All trend analyses were performed with the Proc Autoreg function in SAS, version 9.3, and all autoregressive models were estimated employing the Yule–Walker method.

Results

Slightly more than 1,700 people died by suicide in the workplace between 2003 and 2010 in the U.S., for an overall rate of 1.5 per 1,000,000 workers (Table 1). Between 2003 and 2010, a significant quadratic trend in workplace suicides was observed (p=0.035). Workplace suicides decreased between 2003 and 2007 and then sharply increased (Figure 1). During the study period, 270,500 people died by suicide outside of the workplace, for an overall rate of 144.1 per 1,000,000 people. A significant quadratic trend was also observed for non-workplace suicides (p=0.025). Non-workplace suicides increased over the study period; however, the year-to-year increase became larger toward the end of this time period.

Table 1.

Number and Rate of Suicides Occurring in the Workplace and Non-workplace: CFOI and WISQARS, 2003–2010

Year Workplacea Non-Workplaceb
Suicides Denominator
(CPS)		 Rate per
1,000,000		 Suicides Denominator
(census)		 Rate per
1,000,000
2003 210 137,735,800 1.5 30,846 225,306,629 136.9
2004 198 139,252,000 1.4 31,761 227,888,633 139.4
2005 174 141,729,600 1.2 31,990 230,540,584 138.8
2006 202 144,427,100 1.4 32,674 233,456,688 140.0
2007 182 146,046,500 1.2 34,054 236,185,097 144.2
2008 247 145,362,400 1.7 35,371 238,867,600 148.1
2009 254 139,877,500 1.8 36,165 241,424,041 149.8
2010 252 139,064,000 1.8 37,639 243,275,505 154.7
Total 1,719 1,133,494,800 1.5 270,500 1,876,944,777 144.1
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Note: Suicide totals and rates were generated by the authors with restricted access to CFOI microdata.

a

83 military and 2 “unknown” age suicides removed from the total workplace suicides.

b

Total non-workplace suicides from WISQARS excludes the total counts of workplace suicides from CFOI (1,719) plus the 83 military cases from CFOI.

CPS, Current Population Survey; CFOI, Census of Fatal Occupational Injury; WISQARS, Web-Based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting Systems.

Figure 1.

Figure 1

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Rates per 1,000,000 for suicides occurring in the workplace and non-workplace by year: CFOI and WISQARS, 2003–2010.

Note: Suicide rates were generated by the authors with restricted access to CFOI microdata. “Poly” refers to the use of a quadratic term in the suicide rate model.

CFOI, Census of Fatal Occupational Injury; WISQARS, Web-Based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting Systems.

Table 2 displays suicides and rates by age, gender, and race. For both non-workplace and workplace suicides, men had signifıcantly higher rates compared to women (RR=4.0, 95% CI=4.0, 4.0, and RR=15.3, 95% CI=12.1, 18.5 , respectively). Generally, as age increased, so did workplace suicide rates until age 75 years. Those aged between 65 and 74 years had the highest suicide rate of all ages (2.4 per 1,000,000). Non-workplace suicide rates increased with age until age 55 years, when rates decreased until age 75 years. Among non-workplace suicides, the highest rates were found among those aged 45–54 years (175.2 per 1,000,000). Eighty-nine percent of workplace suicides occurred among whites; however, people with an unknown or “other” (includes those of multiple races) race had the highest workplace suicide rates (2.1 per 1,000,000). Whites had the highest non-workplace suicide rate (160.8 per 1,000,000).

Table 2.

Rates per 1,000,000 and Rate Ratios of Workplace and Non-workplace Suicides by Demographics: 2003–2010

Workplace Non-Workplace
Suicides
(%)		 Total no. of
workers		 Rate per
1,000,000		 RR
(95% CI)		 Suicides
(%)		 Population Rate per
1,000,000		 RR
(95% CI)
Gender
 Male 1,626 (95) 604,099, 800 2.7 15.3
(12.1, 18.5) 		213,916
(79)		 911,917,479 234.6 4.0
(4.0, 4.0)
 Female 93 (5) 529,395,100 0.2 1 56,584 (21) 965,027,298 58.6 1
Age group (years)
 16–24 100 (6) 152,546,200 0.7 1 32,534 (12) 307,880,355 105.7 1
 25–34 225 (13) 245,748,800 0.9 1.4
(1.1, 1.7) 		41,503 (15) 318,872,403 130.2 1.2
(1.2, 1.2)
 35–44 425 (25) 268,597,200 1.6 2.4
(1.9, 2.9) 		52,619 (20) 342,250,953 153.7 1.5
(1.4, 1.5)
 45–54 560 (33) 267,538,300 2.1 3.2
(2.5, 3.9) 		60,703 (22) 346,506,137 175.2 1.7
(1.6, 1.7)
 55–64 307 (18) 155,243,100 2.0 3.0
(2.3, 3.7) 		39,066 (14) 259,059,685 150.8 1.4
(1.4, 1.4)
 65–74 85 (5) 34,999,800 2.4 3.7
(2.6, 4.8) 		20,388 (8) 158,404,106 128.7 1.2
(1.2, 1.2)
 ≥75 17 (1) 8,821,500 1.9 2.9
(1.4, 4.5) 		23,687 (9) 143,971,138 164.5 1.6
(1.5, 1.6)
Racea
 White 1,524 (89) 933,337,200 1.6 2.5
(1.9, 3.1) 		245,174 (91) 1,524,346,842 160.8 2.4
(2.4, 2.5)
 Black 80 (5) 122,764,200 0.7 1 15,645 (6) 235,449,985 66.4 1
 Asian, Pacific Islander,
 American Indian, Alaskan
 Native		 84 (5) 62,526,000 1.3 2.1
(1.5, 2.6) 		9,681 (3) 117,147,950 83.7 1.3
(1.2, 1.3)
 Other, Unknown 31 (2) 14,867,500 2.1 3.2
(1.9, 4.0) 		– – – –
Total 1,719
(100)		 1,133,494,800 1.5 – 270,500
(100)		 1,876,944,777 144.1 –
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Note: Boldface indicates statistical significance of rate ratios (p<0.05). Suicide totals and rates were generated by the authors with restricted access to CFOI microdata.

a

Original race categories for the CFOI: white; black or African American; American Indian or Alaskan Native; Asian; Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander; other (includes persons of multiple races); not reported or unknown. Original race categories for WISQARS: white; black; American Indian/Alaskan Native; Asian/Pacific Islander; and other.

CFOI, Census of Fatal Occupational Injury; RR, rate ratio; WISQARS, Web-Based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting Systems.

The major occupation with the highest workplace suicide rate was Protective Service Occupations (5.3 per 1,000,000) (Table 3). This major occupation included supervisors of protective service workers, firefighting and prevention workers, law enforcement workers, and other protective service workers (animal control workers, private detectives and investigators, and miscellaneous protective service workers). All occupations within this group had rates in excess of the national average of 1.5 per 1,000,000. Those in Farming, Fishing, and Forestry occupations had the next highest rate (5.1 per 1,000,000). Those in Installation, Maintenance, and Repair occupations also had high workplace suicide rates (3.3 per 1,000,000). Overall, firearms were used in 48% of work-place suicides (n=828), but this differed by occupation. Among Building and Grounds Cleaning occupations, 29% of suicides involved firearms, and among those in protective services, 84% were committed using a firearm (n=108). Among those in Farming, Fishing, and Forestry, 50% of suicides involved a firearm and 50% were due to other causes, primarily strangulation.

Table 3.

Rate per 1,000,000 of suicides occurring in the workplace by selected major occupation: CFOI, 2003–2010

Occupation Total no. of workers Gunshot (%) All other (%) Totala (%) Rate per 1,000,000 workers
33-Protective service occupations 23,976,400 108 (84) 20 (16) 128 (7) 5.3
 Supervisors of protective service workers, firefighting & prevention
 workers, law enforcement workers, other protective service workers
 (animal control workers, private detectives & investigators,
 miscellaneous protective service workers)		 17,054,100 80 (92) 7 (8) 87 (5) 5.1
 Security guards and gaming surveillance officers 6,922,300 28 (68) 13 (32) 41 (2) 5.9
45-Farming, fishing, & forestry occupations 7,839,600 20 (50) 20 (50) 40 (2) 5.1
49-Installation, maintenance, & repair occupations 40,963,400 58 (42) 79 (58) 137 (8) 3.3
 Automotive body/service repairers and technicians 8,325,500 22 (42) 30 (58) 52 (3) 6.2
 1st line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, repairers 2,690,800 11 (58) 8 (42) 19 (1) 7.1
 Maintenance and repair workers general 3,100,500 9 (41) 13 (59) 22 (1) 7.1
 All other 26,846,700 16 (36) 28 (64) 44 (3) 1.6
53-Transportation & material moving occupations 68,402,400 55 (33) 110 (67) 165 (10) 2.4
 Truck drivers 26,401,000 34 (42) 47 (58) 81 (5) 3.1
 Laborers and freight stock and material movers hand 14,423,700 5 (16) 26 (84) 31 (2) 2.1
 All other 27,577,800 16 (29) 37 (70) 53 (3) 1.9
11-13 Management occupations, business,
& financial operations occupations		 167,954,600 189 (58) 139 (42) 328 (19) 2.0
 Farmers and ranchers 6,189,700 37 (60) 25 (40) 62 (4) 10.0
 Food service managers 7,623,300 20 (59) 14 (41) 34 (2) 4.5
 Construction managers 8,024,400 16 (62) 10 (38) 26 (2) 3.2
 All other 146,117,200 116 (56) 90 (44) 206 (12) 1.4
37-Building & grounds cleaning & maintenance occupations 42,346,600 25 (29) 60 (71) 85 (5) 2.0
 Janitors and cleaners 16,715,400 7 (19) 29 (81) 36 (2) 2.2
 Landscaping and grounds keeping workers 9,828,700 8 (33) 16 (66) 24 (1) 2.4
 All other 15,802,500 10 (40) 15 (60) 25 (1) 1.6
Other/Unknown 782,011,800 373 (44) 463 (55) 836 (49) 1.1
Total 1,133,494,800 828(48) 891 (52) 1,719
(100)		 1.5
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Note: Suicide totals and rates were generated by the authors with restricted access to CFOI microdata.

a

denotes column percentage

CFOI, Census of Fatal Occupational Injury

Discussion

This research provides a national description of work-place suicides using a well-established occupational surveillance system spanning many years. Also, by comparing these to non-workplace suicides, trends and risk factors could be described and compared. Trends in workplace and non-workplace suicides differed across the 8-year period. Workplace suicides decreased until 2007, when a large increase was found. Comparatively, non-workplace suicides gradually increased throughout the study period. There were differences between workplace and non-workplace suicides in relation to sociodemographics. Racial minorities appear to be at a greater risk for workplace suicide compared to non-workplace suicides. Finally, this research confirmed that those in farming and protective service occupations had high workplace suicide rates. This research revealed a relatively new finding that those in automotive repair and installation occupations also had high workplace suicide rates. Finally, this study also appears to support the hypothesis that access to lethal means is linked with method-specific suicides in certain occupations, such as firearm-related deaths among those in protective services.

This study identified workers of “other” (including those of multiple races) and “unknown” race as having the highest workplace suicide rates. This was an unexpected finding, as previous research30,31 reported higher workplace suicide rates for whites compared to blacks only. Also, these findings differ from other work32 demonstrating disparities in work-related unintentional fatalities and homicides among racial minorities. Many potential reasons for this disparity, beyond that of racial discrimination, exist. First, although differences in unsafe or unhealthy occupational tasks and exposures by race may exist, the etiology of suicide involves a complicated process that cannot simply be explained by unsafe work tasks and exposures.33 A recent systematic review and meta-analysis34 has suggested that education, income, and employment status warrant inclusion in research investigating work-related suicide. Without inclusion of these factors, workplace suicide rates among race may be confounded by these socioeconomic variables. These variables are not normally collected in national fatality databases, and we could not control for them in our study. Therefore, racial disparities in suicide risk found here could still be in large part due to education, income, and employment status, as these factors remain strongly tied to race. Proposed conceptual models guiding suicide research should include both race/ethnicity and class (income, education, occupation, and employment status) to achieve progress in better understanding workplace suicides.

The workplace suicide rate for protective service occupations was 3.5 times greater than the overall U.S. worker rate, and 84% of these suicides involved firearms. These findings are consistent with other studies using different methodologies and databases.13–16,35–37 Contributing factors for the high suicide rate among protective service occupations include increased access to lethal means, shiftwork, and high-stress work experiences.13–16,35–37 Details concerning firearm ownership (service issued or privately owned) are not available in the CFOI, but prior research has shown that access to lethal means and socialization of officers to firearms may increase their suicide risk.15 Violanti et al.35 found increased suicide ideations among male police officers who worked midnight shifts, potentially due to isolation from fellow officers during late night shifts. Another risk factor for suicide among protective service workers is the high-stress situations that are often part of their normal duties.15,35,36 Exposure to high-stress events can lead to negative mental health outcomes such as post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorders, and depression.15,36 Many protective service workers do not seek counseling for these issues because of the fear of being stigmatized.15,16,36 Left untreated, these conditions may lead to higher suicide ideation.15,36

This and other studies7,9,38–40 have documented high suicide rates among those in Farming, Fishery, and Forestry occupations—particularly farmers. Factors that may contribute to this risk include the potential for financial losses, chronic physical illness, social isolation, work–home imbalance, depression due to chronic pesticide exposure, and barriers and unwillingness to seek mental health treatment.7,9,10,38,41,42 Farmers may also have a higher workplace suicide risk because of increased access to lethal means.7,9,20,39,40,43 This study, as well as others,7,9,20,39,40,43 have shown that firearms and strangulation by hanging are the two leading methods of suicide in this occupation. Also, access to mental health services can be limited in rural locations, and finding time to leave the farm to receive medical care is challenging.39 Studies7,9,20,39 have suggested that farmers diagnosed with depression or other mental health conditions should be provided timely and accessible care to mental health services.

Another occupational group with high workplace suicide rates was Installation, Maintenance, and Repair. Workers in this occupation had workplace suicide rates that were more than twice as high as the national rate. This finding corresponds with limited prior research44–46 demonstrating an elevated suicide risk among automotive workers. This increased risk has been attributed to solvent exposure with known neurotoxic effects.44 Chronic and long-term solvent exposure can result in memory impairment, irritability, depressive symptoms, emotional instability, and brain damage.44 Recommendations to reduce solvent exposure include thorough and frequent hand cleansing, installation of vapor recovery systems, personal protective equipment, and discontinuing the practice of siphoning solvents by the mouth.44 It is not clear why other occupations that are exposed to similar solvents do not experience high workplace suicide rates.

Implementation of suicide prevention programs in workplaces could not only provide counseling and education to workers and their families but also help to increase suicide awareness in high-risk occupations. The 2012 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention47 encourages community-based settings, such as workplaces, to implement programs that promote wellness and prevent suicide-related behaviors. Although scientific evaluations of workplace suicide prevention programs are rare, Mishara and Martin48 found that a comprehensive workplace suicide prevention program resulted in a significant 79% decrease in suicides among a law enforcement cohort. The three components of the program included a half day–long training session for all officers, a telephone helpline, and a day-long training for supervisors and union representatives.48 A key element suggested for workplace suicide prevention programs is training managers on risk and protective factors and steps to take when risk is identified.49 The WHO report on suicide in the workplace also suggested that a comprehensive workplace approach would involve preventing and reducing job stress, increasing and raising awareness, early detection of mental health difficulties, and intervention and treatment through employee health and assistance programs.50

Limitations

There are limitations to these data. First, using cause-of-death data to categorize suicides can lead to misclassification errors and underestimates of the true count.14,51 Because the CFOI and WISQAR use cause-of-death data, this is an important limitation to note. Second, workplace and non-workplace suicides originated from two different databases. Although we removed workplace suicide counts from WISQARS to avoid double-counting, there is no way to tell if this approach was successful or if CFOI suicides were present in WISQARS to begin with. Third, CFOI only includes suicides that occur at the work site, and CFOI counts may not be a complete census of work-related suicide.52 Suicides occurring outside of the workplace or not on work time may or may not be included, depending on the evidence in the source documents.53 Fourth, workplace suicides were defined by the decedent’s location at the time of the event. Therefore, it is important to point out that workplace suicides may or may not be motivated by work-related exposures or factors.53 Fifth, although excluding military occupations was necessary given the data issues, this is a limitation given the high suicide rates of returning soldiers and veterans. Finally, this analysis is limited to decedents and does not consider workers who have attempted suicide or had suicidal ideations; therefore, it does not capture the full spectrum of workplace suicidal behavior.

Conclusions

Occupation can largely define a person’s identity and psychological risk factors for suicide, such as depression and stress, can be affected by the workplace. Also, as the lines between home and work continue to blur, personal issues creep into the workplace and work problems often find their way into employees’ personal lives. A more comprehensive view of work life, public health, and work safety could enable a better understanding of suicide risk factors and how to address them. Suicide is a multi-factorial outcome and therefore multiple opportunities to intervene in an individual’s life—including the workplace—should be considered. A method that may reduce the burden of suicide suggested by the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention Research Prioritization Task Force was increasing the number of people trained for suicide assessment and risk management.54 Implementing effective and evidence-based programs for the training of these individuals is pivotal.55 The workplace should be considered a potential site to implement such programs and train managers in the detection of suicidal behavior, especially among the high-risk occupations identified in this paper.

Footnotes

The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

No financial disclosures were reported by the authors of this paper.

References

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