The Impact of a Suicide Prevention Strategy on Reducing the Economic Cost of Suicide in the New South Wales Construction Industry

• Published in: Crisis : the journal of crisis intervention and suicide prevention Vol. 37; no. 2; p. 121
• Main Authors: Doran, Christopher M, Ling, Rod, Gullestrup, Jorgen, Swannell, Sarah, Milner, Allison
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Canada 01.03.2016
• Subjects: Adult; Construction Industry - economics; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Costs and Cost Analysis - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Male; New South Wales; Occupational Health - economics; Suicide - economics; Suicide - prevention & control; Suicide, Attempted - economics; Suicide, Attempted - prevention & control; cost; suicide; Mates in Construction; self-harm; workplace; economic; prevention
• ISSN: 2151-2396
• DOI: 10.1027/0227-5910/a000362

Little research has been conducted into the cost and prevention of self-harm in the workplace. To quantify the economic cost of self-harm and suicide among New South Wales (NSW) construction industry (CI) workers and to examine the potential economic impact of implementing Mates in Construction (MIC). Direct and indirect costs were estimated. Effectiveness was measured using the relative risk ratio (RRR). In Queensland (QLD), relative suicide risks were estimated for 5-year periods before and after the commencement of MIC. For NSW, the difference between the expected (i.e., using NSW pre-MIC [2008-2012] suicide risk) and counterfactual suicide cases (i.e., applying QLD RRR) provided an estimate of potential suicide cases averted in the post-MIC period (2013-2017). Results were adjusted using the average uptake (i.e., 9.4%) of MIC activities in QLD. Economic savings from averted cases were compared with the cost of implementing MIC. The cost of self-harm and suicide in the NSW CI was AU $527 million in 2010. MIC could potentially avert 0.4 suicides, 1.01 full incapacity cases, and 4.92 short absences, generating annual savings of AU $3.66 million. For every AU $1 invested, the economic return is approximately AU $4.6. MIC represents a positive economic investment in workplace safety.