When it comes to understanding why a person might take his or her own life, hindsight is not necessarily 20/20. Experts say many factors may contribute, and most who commit suicide struggle with mental health issues like depression, substance abuse or both.
Add to that overwhelming job demands, an isolating work culture where there can be few opportunities to connect with coworkers and supervisors, and job-specific stressors like the inherently dangerous nature of some professions from law enforcement to deep sea fishing, and one’s mental health can be severely strained. “Stress, the economy and access to care are three things we know affect suicide rates,” says Dr. John Draper, director of the federally funded National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
Nationally, more than 42,000 people ages 16 and up took their own life in 2014, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, making suicide the 10th leading cause of death in this age group. And suicide rates among those 16 and older increased 25 percent between 2000 and 2014. “Suicide prevention strategies in the workplace can be effective in reaching large numbers of the working aged population,” says Wendy McIntosh, a health scientist at the CDC who led recent research looking at suicide rates by occupation type in this age group. “Just as schools are where we reach youth, the workplace is where we have one of the best chances of reaching adults.”
[See: 9 Things to Do or Say When a Loved One Talks About Taking Their Life.]
Suicide Rates Higher in Certain Occupations
For a CDC report released in July, McIntosh and fellow researchers reviewed more than 12,000 suicides that occurred in 17 states in 2012; researchers drew from the CDC’s National Violent Death Reporting System, which seeks to provide a clearer understanding of violent deaths to guide local decision-making, including in regards to prevention efforts. Though not a comprehensive national sample (NVDRS has since expanded to include more states, which will be taken into account in future research), the data from Alaska to South Carolina provides a significant snapshot of how suicide rates can differ by occupation. Namely, it’s the first multistate study to look at suicide rates for all of the major occupational groups as defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Where men are about four times more likely to die from suicide than women, according to the CDC, male-dominated industries also saw higher rates of suicide. But experts note that women, too, are not immune to occupational hazards that can contribute to suicide risk.
Researchers found those who worked in farming, fishing and forestry — which together comprised one occupational group — had the highest rate of suicide: 84.5 suicides per 100,000 people working in these industries. The next highest overall suicide rates were found among individuals working in construction and extraction, at 53.3 per 100,000 people; then installation, maintenance and repair, at 47.9 per 100,000 people. By comparison, the lowest rate of suicide overall was found among those who worked in the education, training and library occupational group, with 7.5 suicides per 100,000 people. Among women, the highest rates of suicide were found for those who worked in protective service occupations, such as police officers and firefighters: 14.1 suicides per 100,000 women working in these fields.
Highest Suicide Rates per 100,000 by Occupational Group — 17 States, 2012
| Occupational Group | Overall | Male | Female |
| Farming, fishing and forestry | 84.5 | 90.5 | — |
| Construction and extraction | 53.3 | 52.5 | — |
| Installation, maintenance and repair | 47.9 | 47.5 | — |
| Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
Lowest Suicide Rates per 100,000 by Occupational Group — 17 States, 2012
| Occupational Group | Overall | Male | Female |
| Personal care and service | 8.0 | 17.2 | 4.9 |
| Office and administrative support | 7.9 | 15.2 | 5.3 |
| Education, training and library | 7.5 | 15.1 | 4.7 |
| Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
McIntosh says more study is planned to evaluate why suicide rates are higher among people who work in certain industries. “We first wanted to understand the burden of suicide by occupational groups,” she says.
But already, previous research sheds light on some factors that may contribute: “Occupational groups with higher suicide rates might be at risk for a number of reasons, including job-related isolation and demands, stressful work environments and work-home imbalance, as well as socioeconomic inequities, including lower income, lower education level and lack of access to health services,” McIntosh and her co-authors wrote. Factors that might contribute to suicide among farmers, for example, range from social isolation to the potential for financial losses — such as if crops fail — and limited access to mental health services in rural areas, which also affects industries such as fishing and forestry. “Construction workers might be at higher risk because of financial and interpersonal concerns related to lack of steady employment and fragmented community, or isolation,” the report’s authors wrote. And factors ranging from exposure to traumatic violence, work overload, shift work and access to lethal means, namely firearms, may contribute to higher rates of suicide among police. Also, for women in law enforcement and other protective services, there’s the added strain of working in a male-dominated job, researchers say.
Suicide risk isn’t limited to occupations with higher rates, either. For example, more than 1,000 of the suicide deaths assigned to occupational groups by the CDC involved individuals in management occupations, which ranked in the middle for suicide rates.
[See: 8 Things You Didn’t Know About Counseling.]
Managing Mental Health Risks on the Job
In seeking to reduce suicide risk, experts say it’s important to consider job-specific risk factors while taking steps to improve workplace wellness. The approach should be both “top down and bottom up, and it starts with the understanding that everyone can play a role in suicide prevention,” says Jill Harkavy-Friedman, a clinical psychologist and vice president of research for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Employers should offer several avenues for employees to seek help, she says. This could include employee assistance programs offered in many workplaces to provide free, confidential services, such as short-term counseling and referrals to mental health professionals, McIntosh notes. Other preventive strategies include seminars to raise awareness on suicide prevention; web-based tools for mental health screening; and prominently posting the number for crisis hotlines, including the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
In certain occupations, from farming to construction, particularly when work is temporary, it can be more difficult to form lasting relationships on the job. So experts say it’s important to take stock of social connections outside the workplace, too. “It could be anywhere from making sure you’re spending more time with friends and family, and being involved in their lives,” he says. “But also things like getting involved in community activities that can give you a sense of belonging and value.”
Many occupational factors, like violence on the police beat, are difficult to change. But experts say keeping the lines of communication open with trusted professional peers and supervisors can help mitigate the potential strain such factors can have on one’s emotional health.
[See: How to Find the Best Mental Health Professional for You.]
Know, too, when to take a mental health day. It’s not a euphemism, and experts say it’s critical to take time out, as needed, to seek help. “Whatever psychological pain you’re having is every bit as important to address as a pain in your stomach or a pain in your back or a pain in your knee. It prevents you from functioning normally,” Draper says, and he adds it’s important to resist the faulty but common logic that simply pressing on is the best course of action — for you or your work. “The more emotionally well we are, the more that we can enhance our performance and productivity at work.”
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How to Reduce Job-Related Suicide Risks originally appeared on usnews.com
