Characteristics and Circumstances Associated with Work-Related Suicides from the National Violent Death Reporting System, 2013-2017.

Corinne Peek-Asa,Jonathan Davis,Laura Schwab-Reese,Cara Hamann,Ling Zhang

doi:10.3390/ijerph18189538

Abstract

Workplaces are critical in suicide prevention because work-related factors can be associated with suicide, and because workplaces can be effective suicide prevention sites. Understanding the circumstances associated with work-related suicides can advance worksite prevention efforts. Data from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Violent Death Reporting System from 2013 to 2017 were used to examine characteristics and circumstances associated with work compared with non-work suicides. Work-related suicides included those indicated as work-related on the death certificate or in which the death investigation mentioned a work problem or work crisis. Of the 84,389 suicides, 12.1% had some relation to the decedent’s work. Males, those aged 21–54, and with at least a college education, were most likely to have work-related suicides. The circumstances most strongly associated with work-related suicide were financial problems (Odds Ratio (OR) = 4.7; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 4.5–5.0), prior depressed mood (OR = 2.4; 95% CI = 2.3–2.5), and eviction/loss of home (OR = 1.6; 95% CI = 1.4–1.7). Suicides among healthcare practitioners and management occupations had the highest odds of being work-related. Workplace wellness programs can consider incorporating services, such as financial planning and mental health services, as potentially up-stream approaches to prevent work-related suicide.

Highlights

In 2015, Trust for America’s Health issued a report called Pain in the Nation, which identified an “epidemic of despair” measured by increased deaths from suicide, substance use, and alcohol [1]
Of the 84,389 suicides included in this analysis, more than 12.1% included some relatedness with work, of which 8.7% of the death investigations identified that work factors were a minor problem and 3.4% identified work factors as a major problem associated with the suicide (Table 1)
Programs to prevent suicide can support the employee population by providing resources and expertise focused on the underlying circumstances contributing to the suicidal ideation, which include the circumstances identified in this analysis [36]

Summary

Introduction

In 2015, Trust for America’s Health issued a report called Pain in the Nation, which identified an “epidemic of despair” measured by increased deaths from suicide, substance use, and alcohol [1]. An update to the original report found that more than 156,000 Americans died from these causes in 2019, which was more than twice the number in 1999 [2]. Suicides are increasing as a cause of occupational fatality. Since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking workplace suicides in 1992, the number of workplace suicides has increased from 205 to 304 in 2018, a 48% increase [4,5], and the proportion of workplace fatalities that were suicides increased from 3% to 6% [6]. The relevance of these trends is highlighted in the media, including articles focused on workplace suicides in The Washington Post (9 January 2020)

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Conclusion