What is suicide?

Suicide is death caused by injuring oneself with the intent to die, and is a serious public health problem.

What do we know about the suicide problem?

In 2017, there were 47,173 deaths by suicidepdf icon in the United States, which is about 1 suicide every 11 minutes.1 Suicide was the:

• 2nd leading cause of death among people 10 to 34 years of age
• 4th leading cause of death among people 35 to 54 years of age
• 8th leading cause of death among people 55 to 64 years of age

Can occupation affect a person’s risk of suicide?

Many factors impact someone’s risk for suicide. Some occupations or jobs have higher rates of suicide than others.2-4

What factors are linked to an increased risk of suicide for some occupations?

Among the factors thought to contribute to increased risk of suicide by occupation:

• Job factors–such as low job security, low pay, and job stress4-6
• Access to lethal means–the ability to obtain things like medications and firearms4, 7

Other factors that can influence the link between occupation and suicide include: gender, socioeconomic status, economic climate, and societal norms.4-5, 7-8

What are ways reduce and prevent suicide in the workplace?

CDC’s Preventing Suicide: A Technical Package of Policy, Programs, and Practicespdf icon provides several recommendations to reduce and prevent suicide. Many of these recommendations are relevant to the workplace, including:

• Increasing access to health and behavioral health care services
• Reducing access to lethal means among persons at risk of suicide
• Changing organizational polices and culture to promote a protective environment for workers, such as:
  • Promoting prosocial behavior among employees (e.g., asking for help)
  • Assessing and referring employees to helping services (e.g., mental health, substance abuse treatment, financial counseling)
  • Developing crisis response plans for post-suicide events