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Workplace Suicide Prevention: From Crisis to Culture Change

Spenser-Thomas, Sally
Frey, Jodi J.
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2025-08
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Jounral of Employee Assistance
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EAPA
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Article
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Abstract

Every year 727,000 people take their own life and many more make suicide attempts. Suicide does not just occur in high-income countries but is a global phenomenon, affecting families, communities and workplaces throughout the lifespan and is one of the leading causes of death among employed individuals, with some estimates approximating 80 percent of those who die by suicide are of working age (18-65) and these rates among working-age populations have been increasing12. However, many suicides are preventable and while employers may increasingly be motivated in suicide prevention and intervention, few have a clear roadmap for meaningful action. As EA professionals, called upon by our employer clients to address this complex issue, we may feel lack the tools, resources, and leadership commitment needed to impact it. In 2018, a coalition of national partners, including the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the American Association of Suicidology, and United Suicide Survivors International, catalyzed by increasing concerns about workforce suicide rates, came together to address the absence of clear, actionable, and comprehensive National Guidelines for Workplace Suicide Prevention3. Partnering with industry leaders, HR professionals, safety experts, EA leaders, and employees with lived experience a framework was developed through surveys, focus groups and interviews, a framework was developed to provide strategies for work organizations of all sizes and sectors.

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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
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Spenser-Thomas, S. & Frey, J.J. (2025). Workplace Suicide Prevention: From Crisis to Culture Change. Journal of Employee Assistance. 55(2), 22-27.
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