COLUMBIA, Mo. — In the United States alone, suicide accounts for nearly 40,000 lost lives per year. That’s the equivalent of death by suicide in the US every 12.3 minutes (National Institute of Mental Health, 2021). The truth is that anyone can be at risk. Sometimes you NEED help. Sometimes you ARE the help.
Thirty-three percent of people say they know someone who has died by suicide and as a leader, you play an important role in creating a safe and open atmosphere where workers can feel comfortable talking about sensitive topics such as suicide and mental health (Healthier Workforce Center of the Midwest (HWC)). Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. The suicide rate in the construction industry is four times higher than the national average. Learn to recognize the warning signs, start a conversation, and integrate this into the culture of your workplace (HWC).
- Males represent 79% of all US suicide deaths.
- Suicidal thoughts, planning, and attempts are significantly higher among individuals aged 18-29 than among those aged 30+
- The number of military suicides exceeded the number of those killed in combat
- Data compiled by the Costs of War Project, founded by researchers at Brown and Boston universities, showed that an estimated 30,177 Active-duty personnel and veterans of the Global War on Terrorism have taken their own lives, compared to 7,057 deaths in combat.
- The highest suicide rates in the US are among Caucasians, American Indians, and Alaska Natives (Suicide Prevention Corp, 2021)
How can you effectively raise awareness and create prevention about such a sensitive subject?
The University of Missouri Extension and our partners provide training and education to raise awareness about behavioral and mental health. The “YOU OK? Suicide Prevention Campaign for the Workplace and Stress Management” is a tool kit that provides information and resources. The toolkit can also be mailed to you for use in your workplace.
Information, tool kits, and on-demand videos are available at no cost at the “YOU OK? Suicide Prevention Campaign website and additional resources are available on the MU Extension LWD (Labor and Workforce Development) Facebook
- Labor and Workforce Development Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/MUExtWorkforce
- Healthier Workforce Center of the Midwest
https://hwc.public-health.uiowa.edu/
- “YOU OK? Suicide Prevention Campaign website
https://hwc.public-health.uiowa.edu/you-ok-campaign/
- Show-Me Strong Farm Families Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/ShowMeStrongFarmFamilies
- Mental Health First Aid
https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/
— Amy Patillo, Field Specialist, MU Extension Labor and Workforce Development
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