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Boosting Mental Health Wellness

Lisa Masters
Jun 2
4 min read

Updated: Aug 25

Since 1949, May has been Mental Health Awareness Month in the US. While it has always been an important topic, it was thrust into the spotlight during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the CDC, 49,000 people died by suicide in the US during 2022, which equates to one death every 11 minutes.

That same year, the rate of suicide in the workplace increased by 13.1 percent, from 236 deaths the year prior, to 267. Approximately 56.2 percent were among workers that were 45 years of age or older.

In Oregon, suicide was the 10^th leading cause of death with 833 suicides in 2022. The following CDC statistics are just as staggering:

13.2 million have seriously considered or thought about suicide
3.8 million individuals have planned suicide
1.6 million people have attempted suicide

According to research, including one performed at John Hopkins, suicide rates increase in the spring (April, May, and June), sometimes two to three times higher than those in winter months. This is contrary to popular belief that suicide rates increase during the holiday or winter months.

First Responders Face Unique Risks

While mental health affects employees across all industries, first responders experience higher rates of trauma exposure and stress. According to First H.E.L.P., which tracks first responder suicide data, 225 first responders died by suicide in 2022 — including 175 law enforcement, 30 firefighters, six EMS professionals, 12 corrections officers, and two dispatchers.

Many of the individuals who are drawn into this line of work are former military who have a strong desire to continue helping others after they leave the armed forces. According to the 2024 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Report, which analyzed veteran suicide data from 2001 to 2022, it was reported that 6,407 veterans committed suicide in 2022 (or 176 veteran suicides per day).

To support this high-risk population, organizations like First H.E.L.P. and Mission 22 offer targeted mental health resources and peer support networks. CIS Benefits also provides access to public safety-focused counseling and leadership consultation services through Canopy EAP.

Recognizing the Warning Signs

Some of the warning signs of depression and suicide can include:

Persistent feelings of sadness or emptiness
Isolating or pulling away from family and friends
Changes in mood — sometimes increased irritability or frustration
Difficulty sleeping or changes in sleeping habits
Difficulty concentrating
Reckless behaviors — participating in high-risk activities the individual wouldn’t normally take part in
Increase in addictive behaviors, such as drinking, abusing illicit or prescription drugs, or gambling
Not paying attention to personal appearance
Loss of interest in usual activities
Inability to accept or respond to praise or recognition
Giving or throwing away items that were previously important to them
Verbalizing threats to kill themselves, commit suicide, not be a problem any longer, or saying “if anything happens to me…”

Stigma of Depression and Suicide

Once someone gets to the point of the warning signs above, particularly verbalizing that they don’t want to live any longer, it is even more imperative to take the potential of suicide very seriously. Aside from depression, risk factors of suicide include a family history of suicide, alcoholism, physical/sexual abuse history, loss of a loved one, the end of a relationship, chronic pain or terminal illness, and prior suicide attempts.

Many people won’t talk about their feelings of depression, despair, and hopelessness. Some people think that makes them weak, when it is a strong individual who can verbalize these feelings to others. Not only does talking about feelings of sadness to others help reduce the burden that individuals must carry themselves, but it helps begin the healing process and the path towards emotional wellbeing and resiliency.

It has also been shown that individuals who don’t deal with stress, anxiety or depression later find that those emotional burdens manifest themselves in other serious health conditions. So, dealing with stress, anxiety and depression is even more important for that reason.

Those who are survivors of suicide (family, friends, coworkers) typically don’t feel comfortable discussing their feeling of loss that comes from losing someone who has taken their own life. Additionally, losing a loved one by suicide is a completely different type of loss, and sometimes others don’t know what to say or how to help. As a result, people tend to avoid survivors of suicide or not discuss what happened. For that reason and others, suicide tends to occur more than once in families, workplaces, or friendship circles.

Finding Help and Support

If you or someone you know struggles with depression, just know that you don’t have to go through it alone. There are many resources available out there, including the following:

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7/365 days a year for emotional support via phone call, text, or chat. The 988 Lifeline website provides a wealth of information as well.
- US Veterans or service members can call 988 and press “1” for the Veterans Crisis Line, text 838255, or chat.
- The service also assists those who are hearing impaired or in Spanish.
First H.E.L.P. reduces mental health stigma for first responders through education and awareness — and assists first responders in their search for healing.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — US Department of Health & Human Services has some useful Emotional Wellness Toolkits (also available in Spanish).
Additionally, training is available through various outlets on suicide prevention. The Action Alliance provides information on various training on their website.
The CIS Learning Center also has various videos on workplace mental health and wellness.
SAIF also provides information on psychologically healthy workplaces, stress, and suicide prevention on their website.