A new study by Monash University’s School of Public Health and Preventative Medicine found that workers who cannot attend work due to an injury or illness are at a higher risk of intentional self-harm and even suicide. The study highlights the importance of worker support and ensuring adequate mental health support during an injury or illness.

The study collated 47 studies from the last two decades across 16 countries and examined the relationship between a disabling injury or illness sustained at work and later self-harm.

The review concluded that the risk of suicide was elevated for those on workers’ compensation claims, long-term sick leave or those receiving disability payments.

Professor Alex Collie, the lead researcher, explained that the results suggest that governments and employers need to focus on identifying at-risk workers and actively pursue suicide prevention initiatives.

“We found consistent evidence of a link between being off work sick or injured and later suicide,” Professor Collie said. “We see this link in many countries and in people with different types of health conditions.”

The majority of the studies looked at found that people with a work injury or illness were at a greater risk of self-harm or suicide. Professor Collie said that “looking across all of this evidence, we also found a number of things that increase the risk of suicide, such as being off work for a long time, younger age, living alone, having a history of poor health or a mental health condition.”

One significant takeaway from the report is that people who had significant periods off work were at much high risk than those who had shorter absences and returned to work. Being out of work with injury or illness for weeks, months or years was linked with a significantly increased risk of suicide and self-harm.

“But time away from work doesn’t necessarily reflect the severity of injury or illness,” Professor Collie said. “It may also indicate that the person has received poor quality medical treatment, has delayed seeking help, or has other behaviours that can affect recovery such as substance misuse.”

The review’s authors suggest that working with employees towards the most appropriate and timely return to work may reduce the risk of self-harm.

“When it comes to reducing time off work, we know what good interventions look like,” Professor Collie said. “This review adds another dimension and suggests by supporting sick and injured workers to return to work; we may also be able to reduce the risk of suicide.”

“Suicide prevention should not be left just to the healthcare system. We have opportunities through systems that support sick and injured workers, like workers’ compensation and social security, to identify people who are at higher risk and to provide supports and services that reduce those risks.”