Effectiveness of suicide prevention programs for emergency and protective services employees: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Witt, Katrina; Milner, Allison; Allisey, Amanda; Davenport, Lauren; LaMontagne, Anthony D.

doi:10.1002/ajim.22676

Cited by 29 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…The effectiveness of Mental Health First Aid has been shown in various studies, including two randomized-controlled trials in workplace settings (Jorm, Kitchener, Sawyer, Scales, & Cvetkovski, 2010;Kitchener & Jorm, 2004). In addition, there is evidence for the effectiveness of secondary and tertiary approaches to workplace suicide prevention (Milner, Page, Spencer-Thomas, & LaMontagne, 2015), particularly in specific at-risk occupations, such as protective services (Witt, Milner, Allisey, Davenport, & LaMontagne, 2017). Although MHL interventions can benefit organizations and individuals (both inside and outside of the work context), additional intervention studies and evidence synthesis are warranted.…”

Section: Thread 3: Address Mental Health Problems Among Working Peopl...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing an integrated approach to workplace mental health.

LaMontagne¹,

Martin²,

Page³

et al. 2019

Total Worker Health.

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Mental health problems, both clinical (e.g., major depression, anxiety disorders) and subclinical (e.g., psychological distress), are common in the working population. In a review of its approximately 35 member states, the OECD estimated that similar proportions of working-age populations are affected by clinical mental disorders: Point prevalence estimates are 5% for severe mental disorders and another 15% for moderate mental disorders (OECD, 2012). Among those affected, persons with common mental disorders-depression, simple phobia, and generalized anxiety disorder-have the highest workforce participation rates (Sanderson & Andrews, 2006). In Australia, for example, the 2007 national survey of mental health and well-being estimated that 15% of the working population had a history of major depressive disorder (Cocker, Sanderson, & LaMontagne, 2017). Subclinical mental health problems and generalized distress also are prevalent in the working population.Mental health problems among working people are costly to society at large and to health care systems, employers, and affected individuals and their families. Estimates of economic costs for European Union countries are 3% to 4% of gross domestic product (International Labour Office, 2000; OECD, 2012). An Australian study found the greatest costs of depression among working people were borne by employers; turnover costs figured most prominently (Cocker et al., 2017). Costing studies to date, however, have been limited in their ability to quantify costs to affected individuals and their families, particularly concerning important social costs related to stigma and discrimination. WORKING CONDITIONS AS MODIFIABLE RISK AND PROTECTIVE FACTORSA substantial body of research has demonstrated the links between psychosocial working conditions-or job stressors-and worker health over the past 3 decades. The demand-control model has been particularly influential. It hypothesizes that high job strain, defined by a combination of low control over how the job is done in the face of high job demands, will be harmful to health. Although first demonstrated in relation to cardiovascular disease outcomes, subsequent studies have found that job strain also predicts elevated risks of common mental disorders (Theorell et al., 2015). Numerous other job stressors, either individually or in combination, have also been shown to influence mental health (LaMontagne, Keegel, Louie, & Ostry, 2010). These stressors include job insecurity, bullying and harassment, low social support at work, organizational injustice, and effort-reward imbalance.Unlike many historically prominent occupational exposures (e.g., asbestos) to which only a small proportion of the working population were exposed, all

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Section: Thread 3: Address Mental Health Problems Among Working Peopl...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing an integrated approach to workplace mental health.

LaMontagne¹,

Martin²,

Page³

et al. 2019

Total Worker Health.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…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 ]. The evidence base for workplace suicide prevention is growing in some sectors such as law enforcement [ 37 ] and healthcare [ 38 ], but reviews consistently identify the inability of workplace prevention programs to focus on specific risk factors as a hindrance to program development and implementation [ 36 , 39 , 40 ]. Conceptually driven evaluations of outcomes are also lacking, in part because the specific short-term outcomes are difficult to define without information about underlying factors that can increase the risk for suicide.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Peek‐Asa

Zhang

Hamann

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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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.

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“…The higher rates have generally been explained by having greater job stress in protective and emergency service employees (Finney et al, 2013;Webster, 2013), as well as having ready access to means for suicide, access to firearms in police, and access to lethal medications in emergency health workers (Skegg et al, 2010). Witt et al (2017) published a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of suicide prevention programs for emergency and protective services employees. They identified 13 studies, of which six reported sufficient data on suicide rates to conduct quantitative analyses.…”

Section: Suicide Among Police Officersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long-Term Effects of a Comprehensive Police Suicide Prevention Program

Mishara

Fortin

2022

Crisis

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Abstract. Background: Mishara and Martin (2012) reported decreases in suicides 12 years after implementation of a police suicide prevention program. Aims: We aimed to determine whether suicide decreases were sustained 10 years later. Method: We examined coroners’ investigations of police deaths from 2009 through 2018. Results: From 2009 to 2018, Montreal suicide rates increased but this was not significantly different from the previous 12 years and the rate for other Quebec police remained significantly higher than Montreal ( p < .006). The 22-year Montreal postprogram rate was significantly lower than the preprogram rate ( p < .002), and the 22-year rate for other police during the same years was not significantly different from earlier. Limitations: Uncontrolled factors may have influenced the rates, including the 11% increase in women in the Montreal police. The observed mean aging of the Montreal police personnel would have been expected to bias toward finding increases in suicides. However, the maintenance of decreases in suicide rates was observed. Conclusion: The decrease in suicides observed 12 years after the program was sustained for another 10 years, and appears related to the program. Rates for comparable police remained higher. A continuing comprehensive suicide prevention program tailored to the context may reduce suicides for extended time periods.

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Effectiveness of suicide prevention programs for emergency and protective services employees: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Abstract: A greater focus on the relatively neglected area of workplace primary prevention could further improve suicide prevention effectiveness. Am. J. Ind. Med. 60:394-407, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Cited by 29 publications

References 47 publications

Developing an integrated approach to workplace mental health.

Developing an integrated approach to workplace mental health.

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

Long-Term Effects of a Comprehensive Police Suicide Prevention Program

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