www.WorkingMinds.org
Working Minds: Suicide Prevention in the Workplace
A Response to the U.S. Labor Department’s Report: 28% Increase in Workplace Suicides
Denver, Colorado. August 25, 2009. In light of yesterday’s U.S. Labor Department report of a 28% increase in suicide deaths at the workplace last year, there is much speculation about the toll of the economic downturn on mental health. Suicides are almost always the result of complex, multiple causes (not just the recession), and this report has brought much needed attention to an underserved population in suicide prevention: men and women of working age.
We often do not consider adult men to be at risk of suicide. Men of working age – 21-65 years old – bear the largest public health burden due to suicide in the United States ; more than HIV, homicide, diabetes or stroke.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the rate of suicide among 45-54 year olds increased 20 percent between 1999 and 2004. During that same time period, the rate of suicide for teens age 15-19 grew by 2 percent and actually decreased among senior citizens.
According to Research America , suicide attempts in the United States are financially devastating, costing $3.8 billion in medical dollars and $14 billion lost earnings. In addition, Research America notes that for every suicide prevented, the United States could save an average of more than $1.1 million in medical expenses and lost productivity. The economic impact alone should send us all to a course on the warning signs of suicide.
By establishing a workplace culture that clearly shows a concern for the wellbeing of its employees and by providing training on mental health issues, we can begin to make mental health a topic that is not only acceptable to discuss but one we expect to discuss.
Suicide is not an issue only for those who have been directly impacted by it. It is an issue for all of us. By working together, we can stop suicide – not only for a handful of people, but for Americans everywhere.
About Sally Spencer-Thomas
Psychologist Sally Spencer-Thomas is the Executive Director of the Carson J Spencer Foundation, where she oversees Working Minds, the nation’s only suicide prevention program exclusively dedicated to the workplace. She also volunteers as a board member for the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Colorado and the American Association of Suicidology. As a professional speaker, Dr. Spencer-Thomas presents at college campuses and conferences nationally and internationally, and is a mental health advocate and survivor of her brother’s suicide.
For more information, visit www.WorkingMinds.org or contact Sally@CarsonJSpencer.org or 720-244-6535.
