Suicide rate increases among US workers



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(Reuters Health) – Suicide rates are rising among US workers, and the risk may depend in part on the type of job people occupy, according to government researchers.

Between 2000 and 2016, the suicide rate in the United States among adults aged 16 to 64 increased by 34%, from 12.9 deaths per 100,000 population to 17.3 per 100,000, according to the study. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The highest suicide rate among men was among construction and mining workers, with 43.6 deaths per 100,000 workers in 2012 and 53.2 deaths per 100,000 in 2015, according to the analysis.

The highest suicide rate among women was in the arts, design, entertainment, sports and media sectors, with 11.7 deaths per 100,000 workers in 2012 and 15.6 deaths per 100,000 in Canada. 2015.

"Since most adults spend a lot of time at work, the workplace is an important and underutilized place for suicide prevention," said study co-author Deborah Stone, a behavioral scientist. at the CDC in Atlanta.

Although the study was not designed to prove whether or how certain types of employment or workplace characteristics might contribute to the risk of suicide, lack of control over the situation. Employment and lack of job security can be stressors that make suicide more likely. by email.

Many factors outside the workplace can also affect the risk of suicide, including relationship problems, drug use, physical or mental health, finances, or legal issues, Stone added.

And immediate access to firearms and other weapons has a significant impact on suicidal thoughts turning into fatal actions, Stone said.

Firearms may explain higher rates of suicide among men than women, said Gary Namie, director of the Workplace Bullying Institute in Boise, Idaho.

"In America, with easy access to firearms, men choose gun death, but it's the least likely choice for women," said Namie, not involved in the study, by mail electronic. "So it's possible that in moments of despair, if friends or family can step in, with a gun on hand, the decision will be implemented too quickly."

To assess suicide rates by occupation, the CDC examined data collected in 17 states in 2012 and 2015; the results are not representative of the nation as a whole. The results were published in the CDC's weekly report on morbidity and mortality.

While arts, design, recreation, sports and media reported the highest rates of suicide among women, this category recorded the largest increase in men's suicide rates during the past decade. ;study. For women, the largest increase in the suicide rate was recorded in the foodservice sector.

One of the limitations of the study is that it did not examine suicide methods. He also excluded two groups of Americans who usually have stressors that may increase their risk of suicide: veterans and the unemployed.

Nevertheless, the findings suggest that employers can play a role in suicide prevention by providing workplace wellness programs, encouraging the use of mental health and behavioral services, and training workers in signs. precursors to suicide and how to respond, Stone said.

Promoting social interaction rather than isolation in the daily chores of work can also contribute to suicide prevention, as well as to creating an inclusive culture in the middle work that does not allow for abusive behavior or intimidation, said Namie.

"The path of suicide begins with an employee organizing an inexplicable campaign of systematic interpersonal destruction against another employee," said Namie. "Bullying is the most preventable predictor of suicide."

People who have suicidal ideation or suicidal behavior in a co-worker or family member may seek help: 1-800-273-8255 (TALK).

SOURCE: bit.ly/2S4wwk8 MMWR, online November 16, 2018.

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