Suicide Prevention

Suicide is a leading cause of death among working age adults in the United States. Like all workplace fatalities, suicides can be prevented.

If you or one of your employees are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 for immediate help. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provides 24/7, free, and confidential support for people in distress.

You can help safeguard your workers’ mental health:

• Become familiar with available resources.
• Learn to recognize the warning signs of depression.
• Urge workers to seek help if they feel overwhelmed or overcome by a loss of hope.

By demonstrating your commitment to a safe and healthy workplace, you can play an important role in reducing stigma and promoting mental health.

• Create a workplace environment that fosters open communication and a sense of belonging.
• Implement a workplace safety and health program that proactively identifies and addresses hazards that could lead to injuries or illnesses.
• Provide resources and programs that promote employee health and well-being and support work-life balance.
• Inform employees of resources and treatment services available for mental health and substance use disorders through employee assistance or health insurance programs, or in the community.
• Provide accommodations and return-to-work assistance for employees seeking treatment or in recovery.

Suicide Warning Signs

• Increased alcohol and drug use
• Aggressive behavior
• Withdrawal from friends, family and community
• Dramatic mood swings
• Impulsive or reckless behavior
• Collecting and saving pills or buying a weapon
• Giving away possessions
• Tying up loose ends, like organizing personal papers or paying off debts
• Saying goodbye to friends and family.

If you are unsure, a licensed mental health professional can help you assess.

Suicide Prevention Resources (General)

• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
• Risk of Suicide (National Alliance on Mental Illness, NAMI)
• Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
• Suicide Prevention (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC)
• Suicide Prevention (Washington State Department of Health)

Suicide Prevention Resources for Workplaces

• Suicide and Occupation (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH)
• Poster: Suicide Prevention: 5 Things You Should Know (Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA) (Spanish)
• Preventing Suicides (Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA)
• Workplaces (Suicide Prevention Resource Center)

Suicide Prevention Resources by Occupation

Farmworkers and Agriculture

• Farmworker Stress and Anxiety Resources (Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center)
• Rural Response to Farmer Mental Health and Suicide Prevention (Rural Health Information Hub)

Construction

• Construction Fatality Narrative: Construction Supervisor Dies by Suicide (Washington State Fatility Assessment & Control Evaluation Program)
• Construction Industry Alert: Suicides at Work in Construction, 2018-2020 (Washington State Fatality Assessment & Control Evaluation Program)
• Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention
• Suicide Prevention Resources (Center for Construction Research and Training, CPWR)
• Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Resources (Associated General Contractors, AGC)