Suicide risk assessed using the Samotrace program

© Charlotte Calament - Charles Tomlison

Suicide risk was examined between January 2006 and March 2008 as part of the Samotrace survey. It affected nearly 10% of women and 7% of men. Among men, this risk followed a social gradient, with the most privileged social categories being the least affected. Although the results were not statistically significant, the health and social services sector, and the transportation and communications sector, appeared to be particularly affected. Among women, the suicide risk by occupation was less pronounced.

Analysis of data from the 2005 INPES Health Barometer

The study population included 6,264 men and 7,389 women who were employed at the time of the survey. The lifetime prevalence of suicide attempts (SA) was described by socio-occupational category. The lifetime prevalence of SU was higher among women than among men (6.6% vs. 3.1%). Among the employed population, blue-collar workers and white-collar workers were the most affected by SU, while managers were the least affected. Farm owners were the least affected by SU (0.4% of men, 4.1% of women).

Cosmop data for the study of suicide mortality

Data from the Cosmop program have been analyzed in two studies on suicide, one based on the Annual Social Data Reports (DADS) and the other on data from the Permanent Demographic Sample (EDS). The study based on the DADS aimed to describe suicide mortality and its trends over time among the male workforce, by economic sector. Over the period 1976–2002, the age-standardized suicide mortality rate was estimated at 25.1 per 100,000 (in the general population, this rate is 33.4 per 100,000, using the same standardization). No significant trend was observed over time. However, mortality rates differed significantly by industry sector. The health and social services sector had the highest suicide mortality rate (34.3 per 100,000). Next were the public administration sector (excluding the civil service) (29.8 per 100,000), construction (27.3 per 100,000), and real estate (26.7 per 100,000). Analysis by socio-occupational group showed mortality rates nearly three times higher among employees and especially among manual workers compared to managers.The study, based on the permanent demographic sample, included 187,938 men and 150,683 women born in metropolitan France who were economically active at one of the censuses (1968, 1975, 1982, and 1990). The objective was to describe suicide mortality according to the last known social category. Farmers represented the social category with the highest risk of suicide compared to managers. Among employees, a social gradient in suicide mortality was observed regardless of gender, with managers being the least affected and manual workers the most affected.

Multi-source data: work-related suicides

The objective of the project was to study the feasibility of establishing a surveillance system for work-related suicides (including those occurring in the workplace) in France among the working population, using multiple sources. This system aimed both to count and describe cases according to variables characterizing employment.The study included an exploration of available and relevant data sources for such surveillance. Six potentially usable data sources were identified, four of which were considered major: mortality data from the Center for Epidemiology on Medical Causes of Death (CépiDc), data on workers’ compensation claims from the various social security schemes (general scheme, agricultural scheme initially), reports from forensic medical institutions, and reports from the Labor Inspectorate. An exploration of these data sources and the pilot study showed that access to them varied in ease, that no single source was exhaustive, and that each had different limitations (population coverage, lack of centralized or computerized data, underreporting, etc.). Nevertheless, despite these limitations and challenges, establishing a surveillance system could be feasible. One of the sources, forensic institutes, appears indispensable. However, utilizing this source of information would require the development of a computerized data recording system, which is not currently in place.