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

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.

Revisiting the work-suicide link: renewed evidence and models of analysis in workplace contexts

“…The literature concludes that jobs with low control have a higher risk of suicide, which is accentuated by high demand. This explains why low-skilled jobs, with less control over the task, tend to be at higher risk of suicide-related phenomena, both suicidal ideation and attempts ( Peek-Asa et al, 2021 ; Wild et al, 2021 ; Aberg et al, 2022 ; Nishimura et al, 2022 ). It is relevant that when low job control coexists with overqualification of the employee, the risk is accentuated, as it implies a rupture of expectations ( Almroth et al, 2022 ).…”

“…A longitudinal analysis of 84,389 suicide cases carried out in the US population concluded that 12.1% of them were directly linked to work-related issues ( Peek-Asa et al, 2021 ). Understanding the phenomenon of suicide as multi-causal ( Abrutyn and Mueller, 2018 ; Mueller et al, 2021 ), we have compiled international literature from the last 4 years that explores the relationship between suicide and precarious working conditions.…”

“… Lin et al (2023) reached similar conclusions in a Chinese population controlling for gender. In descriptive terms, in contrast to general mental health problems ( Bezerra et al, 2021 ), suicide-related phenomena among the working population are more prevalent among middle-aged men (35–54 years) ( Peek-Asa et al, 2021 ; Ishikawa, 2022 ; Tsuno and Tabuchi, 2022 ). The scientific literature also points to occupational sectors at higher risk: health-related professions ( The Lancet, 2017 ; Ishikawa, 2022 ), construction ( Tyler et al, 2022a , b ), law enforcement ( Genest et al, 2021 ), or particularly precarious sectors ( Son and Lee, 2021 ; Greiner and Arensman, 2022 ).…”

Institutional suicide as anomie: decedents speak out for work-related suicides through a Durkheimian exploration of suicide notes in a context without institutional responsibilization for suicide prevention

“…The literature primarily focuses on work-related suicides in the USA, France, Japan, the United Kingdom, Australia, India, China and South Korea, addressing them mainly at the individual and institutional levels (e.g., Amagasa et al, 2005 ; Peek-Asa et al, 2021a ; Jang et al, 2022 ; Waters and Palmer, 2022 ; Sarpong, 2024 ). In addition, studies primarily aim to group work-related suicides according to type or profession or to reveal the triggers of work-related suicides, and these studies attract more attention from the fields of psychiatry, psychology, and organizational behavior.…”

“…Individuals who attempt work-related suicide, reportedly had financial problems, depression, being evicted, or losing their home. Suicide prevention policies recommend workplaces offer services such as financial planning and psychological support to their employees to prevent work-related suicides ( Peek-Asa et al, 2021a ). Another study conducted in the USA compares death certificates and death investigations and discovers significant inconsistencies between the two documents.…”