Where you work can affect your risk of dying from suicide. For example, lumberjacks, musicians and workers in the oil and gas industry have much higher suicide rates than other populations.

But on the other hand, some occupations have very low suicide rates. One of them is education. National and state data suggest that educators, including teachers, professors and librarians, are one of the most unlikely deaths of suicide.

We are a team of researchers at the Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety at Arizona State University. We manage Arizona’s violent death reporting system, part of a surveillance system sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 50 U.S. states, Washington, DC and Puerto Rico. We collect data on violent deaths, including suicide, thanks to agreements with local medical examiners and law enforcement.

When public health researchers like us look at suicide data, we often focus on high-risk populations to understand where intervention and prevention are most needed. But we can also learn from low-risk groups, such as educators.

Why are suicide rates higher in certain occupations

The suicide rate in the United States has increased significantly over the past 25 years.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the age-adjusted rate in 2022 is 14.2 suicides per 100,000 people, up from 10.9 suicides more than 20 years ago. Epidemiologists often adjust age data to make a more equitable comparison of the incidence of people with different age distributions.

But not all populations are affected equally. For example, military veterans died at a higher suicide than civilians, and men, older people, as well as American Indians and Alaska natives, also awaited some demographics. For example, in 2022, the suicide rate for men was 23 per 100,000 suicides, compared with 5.9 for women.

The suicide rate among working-age populations is also increasing. It has grown 33% over the past two decades, with suicide rates per 100,000 for men in 2021 being per 100,000 for eight. Workers in some professions are higher than those in others.

The reasons are complex and diverse. Workers in the construction industry, an industry with the highest suicide rates, may face greater stigma in order to get help with mental health issues, while people in other fields, such as law enforcement officers, may be more susceptible to traumatic experiences, which may harm their mental health.

In short, some explanations are directly related to a person’s job, such as low job security, few autonomy or agency, and imbalances in work efforts and rewards. Other factors are more indirect, such as the demographic composition of the occupation or the choice of a professional personality type. Such factors together explain the suicide rate across occupations.

Teacher, professor and librarian

On the other hand, educators have relatively low risk of suicide.

By educators, we refer to workers classified by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as “education and library”, which include teachers, tutors, professors, librarians and similar occupations.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 100,000 male educators nationwide died of suicide in 2021, while the number for women is about half. In comparison, male workers committed suicide in art, design, entertainment, sports and media at a rate of 44.5, while male workers committed suicide in construction and extraction at a rate of 65.6.

Data from Arizona follows the same pattern. From 2016 to 2023, a total of 117 educators died of suicide, mainly primary and secondary school teachers. That's the rate of suicide per 100,000 educators at 7.3 suicide rates - one-third of all Arizona workers, the lowest of all occupations in the state.

Why are educators low suicide rates

So, why are educators so low in risk of suicide? After all, the education major will certainly present its own challenges. For example, many teachers experience a lot of burnout, which can lead to physical and mental health problems such as headaches, fatigue, anxiety, and depression.

A good starting point is the population composition of the industry. The share of educators is disproportionately a feature associated with a decrease in suicide rate. Educators also tend to gain higher educational achievements, which may indirectly protect suicide by improving socioeconomic status and employment capacity.

Another factor is the workplace environment. Workplaces that provide increased lethal means, such as guns and drugs, are associated with higher suicide rates. This helps explain why law enforcement personnel, medical professions and military workers tend to show high rates. In schools, the relatively low availability of lethal means may help keep educators at a lower price.

In addition, educators’ workplaces (usually schools and campuses) provide opportunities for rich social relationships, thereby improving a person’s overall health and helping workers cope with work stress. The unique, meaningful bonds that many educators form with students, administrators, and educators may provide support to enhance their mental health.

Finally, based on more contextual information in our Arizona database, we found that a lower percentage of educators who died of suicide had problems with alcohol or substance abuse. Alcohol or substance abuse problems may increase suicidal thoughts and other work-related risk factors such as job insecurity and work-related harm. In short, educators may lead a healthier lifestyle than some other workers.

Improve workers' health

So what can workers and employers in other professions learn from it, and how do we improve workers’ health?

One lesson is to develop skills to cope with work pressure. All professions are able to create stress, which can have a negative impact on a person's physical and mental health. Identify the root causes of work stress and apply coping skills such as positive thinking, meditation and goals, to produce beneficial effects.

Developing social networks in the workplace is also key. High-quality social relationships can improve health to quit smoking. Social relations provide tangible and intangible support and help build a person’s sense of purpose and identity. This applies to the workplace as well. Therefore, promoting work-life balance is a way organizations can help their employees.

Organizations can also work to promote a positive workplace culture. One aspect of this culture is the establishment of a sense of meaning or purpose in work. For educators, this feature may help offset some of the challenges in the industry. Other aspects include appreciating the hard work of employees, identifying and amplifying their strengths, rather than creating a toxic workplace.

It is worth noting that continuous research on occupational health is important. In the context of educators, more research is needed to understand how risks differ between specific groups and between specific groups. Although the overall risk is generally low, no one or population commits suicide and each suicide is preventable.

If you or someone you know is experiencing signs of crisis, you can call, text or chat for free and confidential 988 suicide and crisis lifelines.