Abstract
There is evidence indicating that traditionally male-dominated occupations are associated with greater risk of suicide. In Australia, MATES in Construction was developed as an occupational health initiative to prevent suicides in the industry. The program has recently been applied to the energy industry; however, little is known regarding exposure to suicide and suicide prevention interventions in this sector. The study aimed to examine the effectiveness of MATES in Energy general awareness training (GAT), and estimate the prevalence of recent suicidal ideation and exposure to suicidal behaviors in workers. A before and after design was used to examine the effectiveness of GAT training. Data were collected from 4887 participants undertaking GAT training at energy sites across Queensland, Australia. In total, 2% (97) of participants reported recent suicidal thoughts, 65% of participants reported they had known someone who had attempted suicide, and 69% had known someone who died by suicide. Significant improvements were found on all suicide literacy items after GAT training. Younger people were more likely to be positively affected by the intervention. The results indicate that the MATES in Energy program is successfully transitioning from the construction industry, and offers the first empirically supported suicide intervention tailored to the energy sector.
Highlights
There is increasing evidence that indicates certain occupations are associated with a greater risk of suicide
There was no association between gender and knowing someone who had died by suicide (χ2 (1) < 0.001, p = 0.99, Cramer’s V < 0.001) or reporting suicidal thoughts in the past week (χ2 (1) = 1.79, p = 0.18, Cramer’s V = 0.02)
Linear mixed-effects models indicated that those who did not know someone who had died by suicide had a greater suicide literacy improvement, that is, disagreement with the statement Asking a workmate if they are having suicidal thoughts can increase his/her risk of suicide after the intervention compared to before
Summary
There is increasing evidence that indicates certain occupations are associated with a greater risk of suicide. Workers in traditionally male-dominated industries (e.g., construction, agriculture, machinery) are at an increased risk of suicide compared to the general working population [1,2,3,4,5]. In Australia, men in the construction, transport and agriculture industries are more likely to die by suicide than other occupations [1]. These males experience poor mental well-being and suicidal ideation, e.g., [6], and a substantial portion report personally knowing someone who has died by suicide or who has had suicidal thoughts [7]. The lower mental health, poorer suicide literacy and increased stigma in these workplaces may serve as barriers to help-seeking [13]
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