Work-related suicide: Evolving understandings of etiology & intervention

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelForskningfagfællebedømt

  • Anthony D LaMontagne
  • Maria Åberg
  • Sandra Blomqvist
  • Nick Glozier
  • Birgit A Greiner
  • Jorgen Gullestrup
  • Samuel B Harvey
  • Michael J Kyron
  • Ida E H Madsen
  • Linda Magnusson Hanson
  • Humaira Maheen
  • Cameron Mustard
  • Isabelle Niedhammer
  • Rugulies, Reiner Ernst
  • Peter M Smith
  • Yamna Taouk
  • Sarah Waters
  • Katrina Witt
  • Tania L King
Previously published analyses of suicide case investigations suggest that work or working conditions contribute to 10%–13% of suicide deaths. Yet, the way in which work may increase suicide risk is an underdeveloped area of epidemiologic research. In this Commentary, we propose a definition of work-related suicide from an occupational health and safety perspective, and review the case investigation-based and epidemiologic evidence on work-related causes of suicide. We identified six broad categories of potential work-related causes of suicide, which are: (1) workplace chemical, physical, and psychosocial exposures; (2) exposure to trauma on the job; (3) access to means of suicide through work; (4) exposure to high-stigma work environments; (5) exposure to normative environments promoting extreme orientation to work; and (6) adverse experiences arising from work-related injury or illness. We summarise current evidence in a schema of potential work-related causes that can also be applied in workplace risk assessment and suicide case investigations. There are numerous implications of these findings for policy and practice. Various principle- and evidence-based workplace intervention strategies for suicide prevention exist, some of which have been shown to improve suicide-prevention literacy, reduce stigma, enhance helping behaviours, and in some instances maybe even reduce suicide rates. Prevailing practice in workplace suicide prevention, however, overly emphasises individual- and illness-directed interventions, with little attention directed to addressing the working conditions that may increase suicide risk. We conclude that a stronger emphasis on improving working conditions will be required for workplace suicide prevention to reach its full preventive potential.
OriginalsprogEngelsk
TidsskriftAmerican Journal of Industrial Medicine
ISSN0271-3586
DOI
StatusE-pub ahead of print - 2024

Bibliografisk note

© 2024 The Authors. Journal of Cellular Physiology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.

ID: 395513815