September is National Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month. It's a time when we are reminded that our commitment to preventing suicide and raising awareness extends far beyond just one month. It's especially crucial that HR and benefits leaders stay alert to signs of suicidal ideation among employees, offering support and understanding throughout the year. 

Suicide is an increasing problem in the United States. The number of Americans who died by suicide in 2022 was almost 50,000 — people who were parents, siblings, friends, and co-workers.  

Between 2000 and 2019, the suicide rate rose by about 33%. There are many possible reasons for this surge; the availability of handguns, the rise of social media, and the opioid crisis have all been offered as culprits for the rise in American suicide deaths. 

What we do know is that there are proven ways to prevent suicide. One way is to openly address mental health. A second is to continue reducing the stigma associated with seeking treatment for mental health issues. And a critically important third way is to not ignore suicidal ideation but to confront it head-on and ensure that people who are contemplating suicide get the treatment they need as soon as possible. 

There were about 1.6 million suicide attempts in 2022, according to the American Federation for Suicide Prevention. The potential impact of suicidal ideation can have a powerful negative impact, not only on an individual, but on their entire community. In the workplace in particular, mental health struggles, especially at the level where they may lead to suicide, can impact team dynamics and damage the overall workplace environment.  

Because the stakes are so high for the individual with suicidal thoughts and for those who work with that person, it’s important for HR and benefits professionals to make sure that their organizations offer mental health support that includes appropriate responses and intervention for suicidal ideation. 

The Headspace approach to addressing suicidal ideation

At Headspace, we proactively identify members with a high risk for suicidal ideation. If a member demonstrates signs of suicidality in their answers to our clinical assessments and in-the-moment coaching intake, they will be connected to a specialized suicidal ideation coach. These coaches are part of a dedicated risk team who are specially trained to handle the delicate and urgent nature of members facing suicidal ideation. Coaches create and administer a safety plan in collaboration with the member’s full care team, and involve emergency services if necessary. 

We use a clinically validated protocol, called the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale, for addressing suicidal ideation among our members. In line with our commitment to deliver, high-quality, measurement-based care, Headspace has recently implemented a an in-app assessment to identify the relative suicide risk of members seeking immediate mental health crisis support. 

The app assigns a level of suicide risk: low, medium, high, or imminent. This assessment enables risk coaches to begin implementing the right safety plan immediately upon outreach. This avoids under- or over-treatment and helps members see improvement faster. 

A recently published study examined the efficacy of digital mental health interventions, such as Headspace and Silvercloud. Five different DMHIs were explored in the study of almost 2100 participants over a two-and-a-half-year period. All five of the DMHIs were effective at about the same rate in reducing depression and other mental health symptoms. The Headspace app did stand out in a specific area: “Headspace significantly outperformed Silvercloud in improving suicidality,” according to Psychiatry Advisor. 

Headspace’s in-app tool is one way that HR and benefits leaders can foster a supportive environment in their organizations. Encouraging employees and especially leaders in the company to openly discuss their own mental health challenges is often an effective first step toward creating a supportive environment, free of mental health stigma. Implementing mental health days, flexible work arrangements, and employee assistance programs can also help. It’s also imperative to train managers and HR personnel to recognize the signs of mental health issues and respond appropriately. 

HR professionals can’t afford to ignore the increase in suicide rates. By addressing the issue head-on and by using tools like Headspace, we can take real steps toward decreasing the likelihood of suicides and their far-reaching consequences.