Workplace Suicide Prevention

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SPECIAL EPISODE Work-Related Suicide -- An Occupational Health & Safety Perspective: Interview with Dr. LaMontagne & Dr. King | Ep 28

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SPECIAL EPISODE Work-Related Suicide -- An Occupational Health & Safety Perspective: Interview with Dr. LaMontagne & Dr. King | Ep 28

A growing focus in the media, policy circles, and research is emerging on the correlation between work and suicide. Specifically, a growing body of robust evidence links various psychosocial working conditions and job stressors to suicide. Diverse perspectives exist on the current state of evidence concerning causality and intervention, as well as the most suitable policy and practice responses. In this podcast episode, I interview two global experts who share their views from an occupational health & safety (OH&S) standpoint concerning work-related suicide, with a primary emphasis on the potential for working conditions to serve as modifiable risk factors or protective elements in the context of suicide among the working population.

We define work-related suicide as a suicide death that is entirely or partially connected to work or working conditions. We also consider the working conditions of the individuals who died by suicide.

We discuss:

  • How is work-related suicide defined from an OH&S standpoint?

  • What are the potential work-related contributors to suicide?

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Awareness to Action -- Getting a Quick Start on Building a Robust Workplace Mental Health Program: Interview with Steven Frost | Ep 18

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Awareness to Action -- Getting a Quick Start on Building a Robust Workplace Mental Health Program: Interview with Steven Frost | Ep 18

Raising awareness about mental health issues in the workplace is crucial, but it is not enough on its own. Taking action is equally important. Awareness alone does not create tangible changes or provide support for employees who are struggling. Workplace mental health program development should go beyond simply acknowledging the issue and actively work to implement strategies that promote mental well-being, reduce bias, and provide resources for support. By taking action, organizations can create a culture of care, where employees feel supported and empowered to seek help when needed. Action-oriented programs make a real difference in improving mental health outcomes and creating a healthier work environment for everyone involved.

In this interview I speak with workplace mental health advocate Steven Frost. Steven shares these three tips for a quick start to building a workplace mental health program are:

  1. Gain Leadership Buy-in: Messaging of unwavering support from key leaders empowers cultural shifts

  2. Develop a Diverse Team: Representative champion's voices must be heard. 

  3. Gather Resources: Upstream, midstream and downstream

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The Forgotten Survivors -- Co-workers Impacted by Suicide Loss: Interview with Robert & Terri Bogue | Ep 17

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The Forgotten Survivors -- Co-workers Impacted by Suicide Loss: Interview with Robert & Terri Bogue | Ep 17

Many workplaces are affected by the suicide death of an employee each year, especially considering that a large number of people who die by suicide are working-age adults. Even the suicide deaths of recently terminated employees can have a significant impact on their previous workplaces. The loss of a leader within an organization can cause chaos and trauma. Moreover, suicide deaths of family members, vendors, clients, and associates can also affect employees. Unfortunately, most workplaces are not prepared to respond to such deaths. Common models of grief and bereavement support often focus on returning to work quickly rather than providing meaningful support. It is crucial for workplaces to understand grief, trauma, and suicide contagion and develop effective strategies for supporting employees in the aftermath of a suicide death.

In this interview, I speak with suicide loss survivors Robert and Terri Bogue about workplace suicide grief and trauma and survivor guilt. They share these three tips:

  • Acknowledge survivor guilt. Address suicide directly -if someone talks about wanting to die, not wanting to be here, or gives away their prized things. – That’s all you can do. You’re not responsible for their decisions.

  • Meet people where they are in their grief. What do you do when families don’t want the employee’s death discussed as a suicide? Everyone grieves differently. They experience trauma differently. You can’t prescribe how they’ll grieve.

  • Actively build community after a loss. People will feel the loss of relationship. Create opportunities for them to fill that space.

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Climbing Out of Darkness -- What Depression Looks Like at Work: Interview with Mike Jacquart | Ep 14

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Climbing Out of Darkness -- What Depression Looks Like at Work: Interview with Mike Jacquart | Ep 14

Often when people experience depression it feels like being in a deep, dark hole.

At least I know that is what it felt like for me.

When I went through an episode of major depression in 2012, the world felt incredibly dark and cold. My mind was filled with dread and overwhelm. Inside I was telling myself that I was a failure and the everything I had worked for would soon completely fall apart. I lost about twenty pounds in a month because I stopped eating. I didn’t sleep night after night.

On the outside I soldiered on.

It took the loving concern of others around me for me to see it was okay to take care of myself. Sometimes depression at work looks like isolation and sadness. Sometimes it looks like distraction, low stress tolerance, anger or changes in appearance. Sometimes the impacts of depression on performance are obvious, and sometimes they are not.

That said, untreated depression is costly and disruptive at work. According to Forbes, half of depressed employees are untreated costing an estimated 200 million lost workdays each year costing upwards of $44 billion to employers. Often employees feel trapped between feeling very unwell and needing to continue to work. Many don’t feel like they have permission to take care of this part of their health or that if they do, many feel they will be punished for doing so.

In this episode, I speak with Mike Jacquart about his experiences living with depression. We cover his three take-aways from the point of view of someone with lived experience:

  1. Understand the impact of poor self-esteem and depression on work.

  2. Offer hope to those suffering in silence.

  3. Treatment works and transforms lives.

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SPECIAL EPISODE What You Need to Know about the National Guidelines for Workplace Suicide Prevention: Interview with Dr. Jodi Jacobson Frey | Ep 13

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SPECIAL EPISODE What You Need to Know about the National Guidelines for Workplace Suicide Prevention: Interview with Dr. Jodi Jacobson Frey | Ep 13

Most workplaces agree that having a mental health program of some kind is good for their workers, and in turn good for their mission; however, most don’t know what to do besides get the benefit of an Employee Assistance Program. In this special extended episode, I speak with my right hand woman Dr. Jodi Jacobson Frey. Jodi and I co-chair the Workplace Suicide Prevention and Postvention Committee and have collaborated for almost 15 years on how best to support workplaces in developing a robust worker well-being culture. In this episode, Jodi covers these three takeaways:

  1. Take a good organizational look in the mirror

  2. Don’t just check a box

  3. Back it up — bring your plans to life