A University of Melbourne study has found those working in a male-dominated occupation, such as agriculture, construction or forestry have higher rates of suicide than the general employment population.
This follows on from a 2015 World Health Organisation study that showed males employed in occupations with a greater number of men, compared to women, were much less likely to seek help from a mental health professional.
Alison Milner and Tania King, from the University of Melbourne’s Centre for Health Equity, School of Population and Global Health conducted a nationwide study of deaths by suicide between 2001 and 2015 in Australia, looking at all employed adults with a known occupation who were between 15 years and 74 years at the time of death.
They found that men in moderately male and heavily male-dominated occupations – those with 1.5 or more male to every female employed – had a rate of suicide 2.15 to 3.83 higher than those of men in female-dominated occupations.
Suicide rates tended to be higher in mid‐life (between 35 and 54 years) compared to in the youngest age group. There was a decrease in suicide over time.
There was a slightly elevated risk of suicide for women in female‐dominated occupations compared to those in male‐dominated occupations.
- Details: Lifeline 13 11 14.
