The type of jobs we choose may be contributing ,and sometimes negatively affecting our mental health. A comprehensive report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has compiled a list of jobs that have the highest rates of suicide, with manual laborers working in isolation at the top spot.
According to the CDC's occupational suicide list that compiled data from 17 states in 2012, there are 85 manual laborers per 100,000 that commit suicide in the United States. Commonly working in isolation, this includes farm workers, fishermen, lumberjacks and employees in agriculture or forestry.
People who provide health care support, social service, cleaning, maintenance, real estate and food service are among the type of employees with low suicide risks. Workers with the lowest suicide risk are those involved in personal care and service, child care, animal training and in barber shops.
Listed below are the top ten jobs in CDC's occupational suicide list.
1. Farmworkers, fishermen, lumberjacks, people in forestry or agriculture (85 suicides per 100,000)
2. Carpenters, miners, electricians, construction trades (53)
3. Mechanics and those working in installation, maintenance, repair (48)
4. Factory and production workers (35)
5. Architects, engineers (32)
6. Police, firefighters, corrections workers, employees in protective services (31)
7. Artists, designers, entertainers, athletes, media (24)
8. Computer programmers, mathematicians, statisticians (23)
9. Transportation workers (22)
10. Corporate executives and managers, advertising and public relations (20)
Rising Suicide Rates
Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death of people in all ages in the U.S. According to the Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, or SAVE, nearly 43,000 deaths due to suicide were recorded in 2014, with suicide occurrences more common in males than in females.
Aside from occupational-related isolation and demands, jobs with high suicide rates are also affected by work-home imbalance, stressful work environments and poor access to health care support. Others factors include socioeconomic inequality, lower education level, lower salary and exposure to dangerous chemicals that can upset the neurologic system and raise the likelihood of depression, CBS News listed.
Can Church And Religion Help?
It seems that going to church and religious services lowers people's inclination toward depression and self-harm. A study published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry this week found that women who participate in religious services once or more than once a week are five times less likely to commit suicide.
Authors of the research said religious services could provide women a meaningful social participation that helps them avoid feelings of isolation and loneliness. The Catholic Church teaches that suicide is a mortal sin and people who kill themselves would go to hell.
