Suicide Prevention Organizations have been recently steering their attention to workplaces and there is a serious reason behind it. The workplace has been an integral part of our social lives. This social setting that is assumingly built on professionalism and functionality often harbors a fatal ambiance that slowly drives, even the most mentally steeled individuals, to lose all hope, abandon all solutions and call it quits on life.
According to the article published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, the number of work-related suicides has seen a northward trajectory, rising from 205 to 304 in 2018. That is a gravely concerning 48% increase and even though the statistic is not as recent as we would like it to be it certainly sheds some light on the critical situation. With the latest pandemic ravaging the world and the business industry taking the most severe brunt, the suicide rate due to work-related will maintain its upward trajectory. Estimates report that 114 million people lost their jobs due to COVID-19 leading to a loss of $3.7 trillion dollars. The risk that lurks in such severe conditions can be calculated with a research statistic that states, “Every 1% increase in unemployment raise the suicide rate by .79%”.
The scourge of suicide is difficult to pin down and remedy simply because the symptoms are not evident and overt but there certainly is a trend prevalent that can be tracked down to tackle workplace-related suicides. There are factors that can be identified and mitigated before they consume a person. Factors like workplace stress are the most common factor and the leading cause of workplace suicide. The stress sprouts up from various sources like low wages, gender-based discrimination, stressful working environments and conditions, job insecurity, and inconsistent work schedules. Other factors that add to the element of stress are bullying among peers and harassment. And even though all of the causes of stress manifest in their own particular manner their result is always the same, which is the loss of a precious life that could have been saved. Even workplace ambiance or industry facilitates suicides. Research has shown that industries, where lethal paraphernalia like guns, pesticides, chemicals are easily accessible, see a comparatively high suicide rate among its workers.
The dire situation demands that workplaces dedicate not just attentions but authentic resources to keep the mental health of their employees in check. There must be elaborate and dedicated employee assistance programs that should be focused on keeping the mental health and performance of the workforce under keen observation. Any employee exhibiting anomalous behavior should be immediately addressed and offered psychological consultation. Routines that improve mental health should be encouraged. Employers must ensure that packages they offer to their employees consist of paid mental health leaves, vacations, and similar benefits. This will help the employees ease the workplace stress which will result in a mentally healthier workplace. The culture and ambiance of the workplace should be communicative and amiable enough to facilitate the employees to seek help whenever they might feel the need for it. Regular suicide prevention awareness and training sessions must be conducted to raise awareness among employees.
Suicide is a timid and surreptitious killer. Those who are susceptible to suicide look normal, act normal and this makes it one of the most serious challenges to tackle. But it should be realized that suicide doesn’t happen in a day. It brews inside its victim for days and can be identified way before it devours the person. All you have to do is to offer sentimental attention, create a workplace that is friendly and open to reach out to. Employers should be aware of the stress that the job might pose towards their employees and ensure that practices that assuage the imposing effects of workplace stress are adopted throughout the workplace.
Suicide Watch and Wellness Foundation Organization is the organization that is always at the forefront of assisting workplaces and employers to deploy responsive suicide prevention programs for their workforce. We offer multiple training sessions and conducts seminars to raise awareness about suicide prevention because we believe that lives are too precious to be wasted without being offered a second chance.
