An occupation is something that you do for a living. But, nowadays there is so much of competition to earn more and have a good standard of living, that some may even think of ending their lives when they don’t get what they expect. The work pressure and the competition has taken a toll on everyone’s lives. This Buzzle article gives a list of professions that have the highest suicide rates.
Shocking Numbers!
✦ Almost 1 person dies by suicide every 40 seconds, somewhere in the world.
✦ More than 1 million people die because of suicide each year, worldwide.
✦ 1.8% of deaths are suicides, in the whole world.
Today’s world works on the base of money. Every single person has to fight his own struggle to improve and earn more. The profession of a person is supposed to develop and teach a person. Nowadays, the overpowering pressure has become one of the reasons for high mortality rates. There have been many surveys done and it is noticed that some specific professions have been linked to high rates of death caused by suicides.
Most of the information about occupational suicide rates is studied by the NOMS (National Occupational Mortality Surveillance). The information is divided into three groups based on the age, 0 – 14, 15 – 64, and 65+. It is also divided as per sex and race. It is difficult to quote the exact percentage but given below are professions that have relatively higher suicide rates. The information in this article is specific to the USA, and the statistics have been sourced from NOMS. As different countries face different problems, the occupations that pose a threat to people differ from one country to another.
Professions with High Suicide Rates in America
Marine Engineers
This is a profession with the highest suicide rate, 1.89 times that of an average American. But, this number is specific to white male deaths. These people have too much pressure and very long working hours. Sometimes, your whole life is at stake because of just one project. Some people take their projects as failures which lead them to commit suicide.
Doctors
Doctors are the people who run to save our lives every time but sadly, these are the people who need help a lot of times. They have the highest suicide rates (including women) in the USA. There are several reasons behind this, which include long working hours, handling difficult patients, and easy access to medications. They know which medicines and the exact doses that can prove fatal, hence most of the suicides turn out to be successful attempts. Even when on the verge of breaking down, they normally don’t go to a psychiatrist for help, as they are worried about their image.
Physicians: The rate is 1.87 times compared to others. Women physicians are 2.78 times as likely to commit suicide.
Dentists: 1.67 times
Veterinarians: 1.54 times
Chiropractors: 1.50 times
Pharmacists: 1.29 times
Finance Workers
Money is the reason behind most depressing stories and suicides. So people who work in the financial sector are prone to a higher rate of suicides. Whenever the market goes down, there are many people who can’t tolerate a horrible loss which ends in death. Apart from the dependency on the market, they normally have a fast life and have huge responsibilities because people may invest because of them. People working in financial services are 1.51 times more likely to commit suicide than the average. In sales, white women have a higher rate (2.43 times) because of stress and harassment at work.
Heavy Construction Equipment Operators
These people have to work for several hours and in harsh conditions. They have constant exposure to dust, toxic materials, or harsh weather. They also have to work at heights and around heavy machinery. The suicide rate is 1.46 times that of other professions. Not only workers, but even the supervisors in this field are prone to committing suicides.
Police Officers and Detectives
This profession doesn’t top in terms of suicide rates for the average white males, but it is for females and black men. This profession has the third-highest rate for white women, which is 2.03 times the average. It is the highest for black men because the rate is 2.55 times. Also, black women in the protective services have a rate of 2.78 times. Stressful working conditions and constant exposure to danger, death, and violence are some of the reasons behind the high suicide rates. Also, the survey proved that officers get less than 6 hours of sleep every night.
Real Estate Agents
This profession is sure to get someone high incomes but at the price of other things like stress and instability. It is a highly unpredictable job where you can earn millions or just nothing. Plus, you don’t know when you get the paycheck. The suicide rate for this profession is 1.38 times that for an average person. Not only suicide, but more than one-third of the occupational deaths in case of real estate agents, have been murders.
Electricians
There is enough demand for electricians to help them earn a living. But the suicide rate is 1.36 times that of an average person. Black men are said to have a higher rate of 1.78 times. Some people have said that electricians are exposed to continuous electromagnetic radiations which may alter some things in the nervous system. These changes eventually make the people depressed, which may end in committing suicides. Also, they have to work in life-threatening conditions with immense stress to fix problems.
Lawyers
There is a study which says that almost 40% of the law students suffer from depression, even before graduating from the law school. Even after the practicing starts, lawyers are almost 4 times more likely to suffer from depression, than the average people. And, this profession has a rate 1.33 times higher than the average for committing suicides. The stressful environment they have to work in, client demands, handling difficult clients, and long working hours are some of the reasons that contribute to it.
Farm Workers
This is actually one of the lowest paying jobs, but needs so much of work. It includes long hours of working hard in the nature. Sometimes, they also have to work with heavy machinery. The biggest problem is that their work is at the mercy of nature, and nature (rain, weather conditions, natural disasters) is unpredictable. Farm workers have a suicide rate of 1.32 times higher than other people.
There are some more professions with high suicide rates. They include:
✦ Urban planners – 1.43 times
✦ Hand molders – 1.39 times
✦ Electrical equipment assemblers – 1.36 times
✦ Heat training equipment operators – 1.32 times
✦ Scientists – 1.28 times
We should be thankful for being given a life to live and a body that works perfectly. Value your life and your close ones. Remember, every problem has a solution, and ending your life is definitely not one. Never forget the line, “This too shall pass”. Please don’t give up so easily because there are hundreds of people who have so much to do but have very little time. We all are fighting our own battles, at different levels.
