Suicide prevention in the workplace: Critical strategies to consider

Employee mental health plays a massive role in shaping everything from organizational productivity to employee well-being and morale—it’s something you can’t afford to ignore. In 2022, the number of deaths by suicide in the United States was the highest it’s ever been, and suicide in the workplace is on the rise, too. The 267 fatalities linked to suicide and work in 2022 marked a 13% increase from the previous year. For every person who lost their life to suicide, an estimated 32 more attempted, and 250 more seriously considered it. 

Mental health in the workplace is not something you can take lightly. While it is a crisis, it’s also an opportunity to make a real difference. Nobody is immune. Suicide can impact anyone’s life, regardless of race, gender, age, background, or status. It’s critical that employers practice workplace suicide prevention and provide ongoing support. Early intervention is the simplest and most effective way to address worker mental health and suicide prevention. 

Continue reading to learn about risk factors you should be aware of and actionable strategies you can implement to ensure you have a mentally healthy and supportive workplace.

Common risk factors and warning signs in the workplace

Understanding common risk factors and warning signs is key to suicide prevention in the workplace. 

Risk factors

The risk of suicide at work often starts with a combination of personal and professional stressors. It can be the result of a toxic workplace culture or unreasonable deadlines. It also might be related to personal challenges, like relationship or marital struggles, health concerns, mental health issues, or financial uncertainty. Often, life pressures blur the lines between professional and personal obstacles for people struggling. Whatever the root cause, struggling can make every day harder for your employees.

Personal risk factors: 

• Mental health concerns: Anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions can raise the risk of death by suicide. 
• Substance use: Using alcohol or drugs as a coping tool can intensify emotional pain and create deeper feelings of despair and hopelessness. It can also prevent some people from seeking support when they need it. 
• Isolation: Feelings of loneliness and isolation can leave people vulnerable and in despair. Whether it’s distance from coworkers, friends, or family members, not feeling connected to others can cause a mental state where things feel impossible. 
• Trauma: Past or ongoing trauma can impact how employees respond to stress, especially at work. In some cases, it can trigger overwhelming thoughts of suicide. 
• Financial stress: Money stress can create a constant sense of pressure that affects every aspect of life, including work. 

Work-related risk factors: 

• Burnout: Chronic work stress can lead to burnout and exhaustion, which leaves employees feeling emotionally and mentally drained, sometimes to the point that finding motivation to continue feels too overwhelming. 
• Toxic culture: Workplace environments filled with negativity, bullying, or unfair treatment can have a direct impact on employees.
• Lack of support: Feeling unseen or unheard at work can be detrimental to employees’ overall well-being.
• Job insecurity: Worrying about job security can be taxing for workers. It can trigger anxiety that’s difficult to cope with, especially when there isn’t adequate support or relief somewhere else in an employee’s life. 
• Harassment: Discrimination and bullying at work can damage mental health, increasing depression, the urge to self-harm, and, in extreme cases, thoughts of suicide.

^{EXPERT INSIGHTS}
"If employers aren’t aware of the signs that someone may be struggling they may see an employee’s performance decline and not think that there are personal or mental health challenges occurring as well."
_{- Laura Magnuson, MA, MS, LAMFT, VP of Clinical Engagement}

Warning signs

Learning to recognize signs of suicide and work concerns is essential. It’s not about monitoring or micromanaging workers; it’s about caring about them. Looking for shifts in demeanor and behavior allows you to step in and offer help. Leadership and others in your company should be trained to recognize signs without stigma.

Warning signs of a potentially suicidal employee:

• Sudden mood or behavioral changes: Be aware of noticeable changes in energy, productivity levels, or irritability.
• Change in social interactions: Avoiding or refusing to interact or attend office events could be a signal that something is going on.  
• Higher absenteeism rates: Increasing or frequent absences, arriving late, or missing deadlines with little to no explanation.
• Expressions of hopelessness: Verbalized feelings of being a burden should always be taken seriously.

How to prevent suicide in the workplace

Preventing suicide in the workplace is an all-hands-on-deck effort. Your employees deserve a work environment that prioritizes and protects their mental health. Effective suicide prevention in the workplace demands more than what’s in typical benefits packages (which may or may not include mental health services). You need to implement organization-wide, sustainable, and proactive change. 

Foster a culture of psychological safety

Create a culture of psychological safety in the workplace so employees know that support is available without fearing they’ll be judged or penalized. This means more than just having an open-door policy or promoting once-quarterly anti-bullying workshops. 

Leadership should encourage vulnerability. One way to accomplish this is by creating policies that normalize mental well-being. Ensure your people feel confident requesting or seeking help without worrying that it could impact their job. 

Train managers to recognize warning signs

Management plays a crucial role in catching things before they go too far. Training them to spot warning signs and provide managerial support means they can get people critical care in time, before a crisis escalates. The best training programs are evidence-based and emphasize skills like listening, validating, and observing. They teach leadership to recognize—not dismiss—concerns. 

Promote access to mental health resources

Offering mental health resources is a step in the right direction, but it’s not enough on its own. Employee wellness ideas and programs that improve employee mental health only work if they’re used, and low utilization is a common barrier. Clearly communicate and promote the services and tools you offer. When mental health benefits for employees are easily accessible and secure, it’s more likely that employees will use them.  

Develop a clear crisis response protocol

When an employee is in crisis, your best chance of helping is by having a response protocol in place. Make sure your plan includes contacts, action steps, and accessible resources so employees can get help quickly. 

Resources that can be part of your crisis response protocol:

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (988)
• Local crisis teams
• Internal mental health contacts
• Post-crisis support and follow-up

Address workload and burnout risk factors

Unmanageable or unreasonable workloads can impact productivity, morale, and mental well-being. Workplace burnout has been linked to depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation, especially in high-stress professions. Make it a priority to assess workloads and promote work-life balance for employees. If needed, proactively distribute tasks and responsibilities. Take note of the early signs of chronic fatigue or emotional exhaustion that employees might be experiencing.

Symptoms of burnout to look for include:

• Physical exhaustion that doesn’t improve even with rest
• Emotional exhaustion
• Cynicism
• Detachment from work responsibilities
• A sense of meaninglessness
• Difficulty concentrating
• Sleep issues
• Unexplained physical complaints

^{EXPERT INSIGHTS}
"If sleep is severely impacted, it can really impact the way an individual is able to function. So if it appears that an employee is struggling and they mention issues with sleep that would be a large indicator that the employee may need extra support and resources."
_{- Laura Magnuson, MA, MS, LAMFT, VP of Clinical Engagement}

Offer mental health days and flexible schedules

Today’s workers want (and expect) flexible work schedules and mental health days. These are more than just nice-to–have perks. Studies show that offering employees personal time to manage stress, go to therapy, or do a mental reset improves job satisfaction and overall worker well-being. Prioritizing mental health days as a necessity is another way to effectively destigmatize the idea of needing and seeking help.

Proven benefits of mental health days and flexible schedules include improved:

• Worker well-being
• Perceived general health
• Work performance
• Job satisfaction 
• Psychosocial stressors
• Burnout
• Absent rates

Communicate regularly and compassionately

There’s power in compassion and regular communication in the workplace. Offer frequent and honest check-ins so employees have a safe space to address concerns, feedback, and needs. When leadership communicates with empathy and transparency, it makes room for others to do the same. Normalizing discussions about mental health is a path towards workplace suicide prevention.

Consider the following to allow for open communication in the workplace:

• Conducting surveys
• Hosting town halls
• Holding one-on-one conversations
• Maintaining an open-door policy
• Implementing confidential reporting systems

Stay proactive with mental health support

Integrating mental health awareness and support into your company culture is the first step in building a resilient workforce. Prevention isn’t a one-time effort. It takes an ongoing commitment and willingness to invest in support systems, continuous education, and feedback loops throughout your entire organization. 

Employers today have an incredible opportunity to protect employee mental health and prevent suicide. Once you’ve committed to suicide prevention in the workplace, you can take steps toward creating a safe environment for every worker. It’s a win for you, your organization, and your people. If you’re ready to start making a difference, Talkspace can be your trusted partner in building a culture where mental health is valued and protected. Request a demo today to learn how to lead the way in workplace mental health. 

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Sources:

1. The Pew Charitable Trusts. “U.S. National Trends and Disparities in Suicidal Ideation, Suicide Attempts, and Health Care Use,” n.d. https://www.pew.org/en/research-and-analysis/data-visualizations/2024/us-national-trends-and-disparities-in-suicidal-ideation-suicide-attempts-and-health-care-use?_gl=1*ohgg1e*_gcl_au*MTkxNzE1MDU0NC4xNzU1NDY3MDEw. Accessed August 16, 2025.
2. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. “The Economics Daily, There Were 267 Workplace Suicides in 2022,” September 10, 2024. https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2024/there-were-267-workplace-fatalities-by-suicide-in-2022.htm. Accessed August 16, 2025.
3. Melnyk, Bernadette Mazurek, Judy E. Davidson, Sharon Tucker, Alai Tan, Andreanna Pavan Hsieh, Andrea Cooper, Cora Mayfield, and Jacqueline Hoying. “Burnout, Mental Health, and Workplace Characteristics: Contributors and Protective Factors Associated with Suicidal Ideation in High‐Risk Nurses.” Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing 22, no. 3 (June 1, 2025). https://doi.org/10.1111/wvn.70042. Accessed August 16, 2025.
4. Shiri, Rahman, Risto Nikunlaakso, and Jaana Laitinen. “Effectiveness of Workplace Interventions to Improve Health and Well-Being of Health and Social Service Workers: A Narrative Review of Randomised Controlled Trials.” Healthcare 11, no. 12 (June 17, 2023): 1792. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11121792. Accessed August 16, 2025.

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