Suicide prevention

Being able to recognize and respond to indications that someone’s thinking of suicide may help avert a death by suicide. Even when death by suicide occurs, the emotional impact of loss may be buffered by knowing that you tried to help.

Much of what’s written about suicide prevention focuses on intervening once someone has become suicidal. Rory O’Connor is the author of Integrated Motivational-Volitional Model. He suggests that social problem-solving skills, a sense of belonging, and social support can all reduce the likelihood that someone will attempt suicide. For this reason, consider using the Team building activities to improve resilience for employees in your organization, in addition to the approaches described below.

In its report Informing the Future – Mental Health Indicators for Canada | PDF, the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) states, “Suicide is a preventable cause of death but rates in Canada remain unacceptably high.” The report goes on to share that, “The suicide rate for adults was 13.8 per 100,000 in 2011. The highest rates were observed among males aged 45-49 and 50- 54 (26.6 per 100,000 and 25.7 per 100,000 respectively.” (Source: Statistics Canada CANSIM Table 102-0551)

These higher numbers are related to individuals in their primary working years. This suggests a need to address the issue of suicide and suicide prevention at work.

Organizational approaches

As part of an overall workplace psychological health and safety strategy, consider the following:

• Be aware of individual risk factors
  • While suicide can’t always be prevented, understanding factors that may increase risk is helpful. The following factors can increase an individual’s risk of suicide:
    • Prior suicide attempts
    • Suicide by someone close
    • Problematic substance use
    • Mental illnesses. This can include depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and anxiety disorder.
    • Access to lethal drugs, weapons or other means
    • Stigma that discourages employees from asking for help
    • Feelings of isolation due to actual or perceived discrimination. This could be related to race, sexual orientation, disability, and gender.
• Implement a comprehensive Psychological Health and Safety (PHS) Management System. This can help improve the overall culture at work and resolve issues more effectively.
• Eliminate stigma related to mental health issues so that all employees feel safe asking for help. See Stigma reduction plan.
• Ensure your Employee and Family Assistance Program (EAP) provides appropriate support and counseling services to those who may have thoughts of suicide.
• Ensure employees are aware of confidential EAP or community services that are available to help them.

Provide training

Managers and union representatives may be in a position to observe changes in behaviour. They may also hear from co-workers that someone appears to be having difficulties.

• Be prepared by offering suicide intervention training to appropriate people at work. One option is the program offered through Living Works Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) program. When considering candidates for suicide intervention training, look at those who are known to be good, supportive listeners outside of their roles as managers or union representatives.
• Provide awareness training to all managers and union representatives. One option is training offered through Living Works SafeTALK program.
• Increase interpersonal and social competency. You can do this through training in stress management and coping skills to help people deal more effectively with problems. See emotional intelligence in Team building activities.
• Raise awareness of organizational and community supports. This can include expertise through your human resources department, crisis support lines, mental health agencies, or EAP. It can help managers and union representatives make appropriate referrals to supports.
• Subscribe to free Mental health awareness weekly emails. This can improve understanding of effective coping strategies for a variety of mental health concerns.
• Resolve workplace issues quickly and effectively to reduce feelings of hopelessness. See Conflict response for leaders.

See also The Role of Managers in Preventing Suicide in the Workplace | PDF.

Educate and support employees

Below are some ideas to increase employee awareness and to support those who may be struggling:

• Provide suicide prevention education to employees such as the Living Works SafeTALK program.
• Provide education to help recognize mental health problems, including warning signs of suicide. See Suicide Prevention: How to Help Someone who is Suicidal.
• Promote awareness that many deaths by suicides are preventable. Provide facts about suicide, risk factors and prevention approaches.
• Ensure employees understand that they aren't required to intervene or put themselves at risk if they're ever in the position of responding to a situation of a potential suicide.
• Expand awareness of mental illness and addiction.
• Help reduce stigma associated with race, gender, disability and sexual orientation, mental illness, substance use disorder, and suicide.
• Encourage help-seeking behaviours for such problems. 
• Create a caring work environment in which co-workers support each other. See The Role of Co-workers in Preventing Suicide in the Workplace | PDF.
• Promote listening and interpersonal skills to help individuals improve their relationships.
• Refer employees to Mental health awareness videos. These provide real-life, video-based stories of people who have worked through serious mental health issues.
• Have a supportive conversation with someone you care about on difficult topics. Topics like mental health, stress, addiction, anger, abuse or lying are included in the Supportive conversation library.

See also Suicide response for leaders for approaches that consider the impact on co-workers of a suicide attempt or death by suicide.

Additional resources

• Suicide Prevention in the Workplace | PDF. Use this guide to navigate those difficult conversations. It offers information for your own mental health. It also includes information for employers, managers, and co-workers, along with tips for those who work with the public.    
• Suicide risk assessment toolkit. This toolkit from the Mental Health Commission of Canada is designed to be a quick, informative resource for health-care workers and organizations. Use it to compare tools and make the right choice to complement your assessment process.
• Trauma in organizations. Help prepare leaders and employees to respond to traumatic incidents at work. Planning ahead can help reduce negative mental health effects.