- Title
- The impact of a suicide prevention strategy on reducing the economic cost of suicide in the New South Wales construction industry
- Creator
- Doran, Christopher M.; Ling, Rod; Gullestrup, Jorgen; Swannell, Sarah; Milner, Allison
- Relation
- Crisis Vol. 37, Issue 2, p. 121-129
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910/a000362
- Publisher
- Hogrefe Publishing
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2016
- Description
- Background: Little research has been conducted into the cost and prevention of self-harm in the workplace. Aims: 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). Method: 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. Results: 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. Conclusion: MIC represents a positive economic investment in workplace safety.
- Subject
- self-harm; suicide; prevention; workplace; Mates in Construction; economic; cost
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1343500
- Identifier
- uon:29187
- Identifier
- ISSN:0227-5910
- Language
- eng
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