Corinne Peek-Asa1, Ling Zhang2, Cara Hamann3, Jonathon Davis1, Carri Casteel1. 1. Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA. 2. Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA. 3. Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Both suicides overall and work-related suicides are increasing in the United States, and efforts to reduce suicide risk will require an understanding of the frequency and role of work in suicides. This study examines the incidence of occupational suicides using the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS), which identified the role of work in suicides using the traditional death certificate as well as from death investigations. METHODS: NVDRS suicides among those aged 16 through 65 from 2013 through 2017 were examined to determine if the death certificate identified the death as work-related, if the death investigation identified a job problem as a suicide circumstance, and if the death investigation indicated that the job problem was a crisis at the time of the suicide. RESULTS: Overall, 1.13% of death certificates identified the suicides as work-related, 2.34% of suicides included a job crisis, and 11.2% a job problem, and proportions did not vary over the years of the study. Overlap between the death certificate and death investigation was very low, with only 0.21% of suicides identified as related to work by both sources. Identification of work-relatedness varied by source for demographic characteristics, mechanism of suicide, and occupation. For example, the death certificate identified 2.1% of suicides among those working in protective services as work-related, but death investigations identified 15.2% as having a job problem. CONCLUSION: Work-related factors may be associated with a far higher proportion of suicides than previously documented.
INTRODUCTION: Both suicides overall and work-related suicides are increasing in the United States, and efforts to reduce suicide risk will require an understanding of the frequency and role of work in suicides. This study examines the incidence of occupational suicides using the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS), which identified the role of work in suicides using the traditional death certificate as well as from death investigations. METHODS: NVDRS suicides among those aged 16 through 65 from 2013 through 2017 were examined to determine if the death certificate identified the death as work-related, if the death investigation identified a job problem as a suicide circumstance, and if the death investigation indicated that the job problem was a crisis at the time of the suicide. RESULTS: Overall, 1.13% of death certificates identified the suicides as work-related, 2.34% of suicides included a job crisis, and 11.2% a job problem, and proportions did not vary over the years of the study. Overlap between the death certificate and death investigation was very low, with only 0.21% of suicides identified as related to work by both sources. Identification of work-relatedness varied by source for demographic characteristics, mechanism of suicide, and occupation. For example, the death certificate identified 2.1% of suicides among those working in protective services as work-related, but death investigations identified 15.2% as having a job problem. CONCLUSION: Work-related factors may be associated with a far higher proportion of suicides than previously documented.
Authors: Corinne Peek-Asa; Ling Zhang; Cara Hamann; Jonathan Davis; Laura Schwab-Reese Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2021-09-10 Impact factor: 3.390