Most of us spend a large part of our waking hours working, and the quality of our working life has a major bearing on our overall health and wellbeing. Work can give us purpose and meaning, and an important sense of belonging and social cohesion.  

Conversely, an unhealthy working environment that causes or exacerbates stress can contribute to poor mental wellbeing. There is a high degree of stigma and silence about suicide in society that, understandably, extends into the workplace. But if someone who is struggling knows they can approach a colleague or a manager and be listened to with empathy and without judgement, this could be the first step in them accessing the help they need.  

Organisations – and managers – should foster an environment where mental health is treated with the same importance as physical health, and a climate where people feel able to talk about suicidal feelings and seek help. As a manager, this means thinking about how you create an open, fair and consistent environment, build and sustain relationships with all members of your team, handle conflict and people management issues, and provide clarity and guidance for those who work for you. 

It is also important that you recognise particularly difficult, stressful situations, offering additional care and support when needed, for example by signposting to the expert resources your organisation has in place. 

Related manager behaviour

This relates closely to the behaviour areas Being open, fair and consistent, Building and sustaining relationships, Handling conflict and people management issues, and Providing knowledge, clarity and guidance. Look at Exercise 1 , Exercise 5 , Exercise 3 and Exercise 4 for advice on how to develop these areas. 

There is rarely one reason why someone may take their own life; suicide is not typically caused by one particular factor. The reasons why a person may be more at risk of attempting or dying by suicide are complex and cannot be oversimplified. 

How different life events impact on an individual is a unique and complex process, and suicide is not predictable in that sense. Many people will experience the risk factors for suicide and never go on to take their own life, but understanding that people are affected by circumstances and events inside and outside work can help you support team members who may be facing difficult issues. 

Mind’s guidance on suicidal feelings says that everyone’s experience of suicidal feelings is unique to them. Struggling to cope with certain difficulties in your life can cause you to feel suicidal.  

Mind’s guidance highlights a long list of work- and non-work-related events and circumstances, including:  

• mental health issues 

• bullying or discrimination  

• the end of a relationship  

• adjusting to a big change such as retirement or redundancy  

• doubts about sexual or gender identity  

• long-term physical pain or illness.  

As a manager you could play a vital role in supporting your team through these events and circumstances. One of the most difficult and emotionally challenging situations as a manager is dealing with a team member or colleague who discloses suicidal thoughts, or has already attempted suicide. This could be a one-off situation, but it’s also possible that someone could have a plan to attempt suicide and/or has enduring thoughts about taking their own life. 

As a manager you cannot be expected to act as a counsellor, and it’s important to have boundaries around your role and know when/how to refer someone to more specialist sources of help where needed. Your organisation should make this signposting clear to you, but if someone is in distress and tells you they are thinking about suicide, you should urge them to contact their GP in the first instance. If the crisis is immediate and you think someone is in imminent danger of taking their own life, you should dial 999 for an ambulance and not leave them alone. There is further practical guidance below. 

Alongside risk factors (those aspects that can make suicide more likely), there are protective factors (those aspects that can make suicide less likely). Again, these are multifaceted, but can include:  

• an individual’s capacity and willingness to talk about their mental health and emotions  

• engagement with hobbies, interests or work  

• a supportive network of family or friends  

• professional support, such as a counsellor or other mental health service  

• being given the opportunity to talk about suicidal thoughts, in whatever context. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that the signs of suicide are often not always visible, but possible warning signs could include:  

• expression of thoughts or feelings about wanting to end their life, or talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live  

• expression of feelings of isolation, loneliness, hopelessness or loss of self-esteem, or dwelling on problems  

• withdrawal from colleagues, decrease in work performance or difficulty completing tasks  

• changes in behaviour, such as restlessness, irritability, impulsivity, recklessness or aggression  

• speaking about arranging end-of-life personal affairs, such as making a will, or concrete plans for suicide  

• abuse of alcohol or other substances  

• depressed mood or mentioning of previous suicidal behaviour  

• bullying or harassment.  

Many people won’t show any warning signs and will do their best to conceal how they are feeling. Nonetheless, being alert to potential indicators could help to build up a picture of concern for that person’s welfare.  

These signs are not definitive on their own but could show that someone is struggling to cope and needs help. The key thing is to notice when someone’s behaviour changes by comparison with what has been typically experienced. Warning signs will be different for everyone, but having good relationships with your team members and the ability to recognise change in behaviour can prompt a conversation about whether they’re okay. Further guidance on how to approach this is covered later.  

It’s also important to recognise that if an individual does show some of the above signs, it’s not necessarily because they are feeling suicidal. As mentioned above, as a manager you should hopefully be in a position to recognise a behavioural change in someone and look to provide them with the support they need 

There is rarely one reason why someone may take their own life; suicide is not typically caused by one particular factor. The reasons why someone may have suicidal thoughts are multifaceted and complex.  

Many of the elements that create a mentally healthy workplace, including good management behaviour, will lay the groundwork for people to talk about mental health and/or suicidal feelings and seek support if they need it. Fostering an environment where people can talk about how they feel can help to tackle the silence and stigma around suicide and hopefully encourage people to seek help. 

The CIPD/Mind People Managers’ Guide to Mental Health contains information, practical advice and templates to help you facilitate conversations about stress and mental health issues and put in place support to help people stay well and in work. Refer to the guide for more in-depth guidance on the practical steps to take across each of the following areas. 

You can help by doing the following:  

• Lead by example, by role-modelling healthy behaviour (such as an appropriate work– life balance and taking regular breaks) and sending out clear messages about the importance of mental health.  

• Encourage people to talk to you about their mental health, including disclosure of a mental health issue. While mental ill health is a sensitive and personal issue, most people would prefer an honest and open enquiry about how they are as opposed to silence. (See the CIPD/Mind People Managers’ Guide to Mental Health for how to broach the subject, including a conversation checklist for managers.)  

• Hold regular one-to-ones and make them an opportunity to start the conversation; these should always be in a private, confidential setting where the employee feels respected and at ease.  

• Remember, however, that no one should be forced into talking about how they are feeling if they don’t want to.  

• Make sure your conversations are culturally sensitive, as people’s reactions will depend on factors such as their background, culture, race, sex, age, and religious and spiritual views.  

• If an individual doesn’t trust you, they are unlikely to discuss a sensitive issue such as mental health, stress or suicidal thoughts with you. Showing empathy, concern and respect are essential if you are to manage mental health in the workplace. 

Related manager behaviour  

This relates closely to the behaviours focusing on Building and sustaining relationships and Being open, fair and consistent. Exercise 5 and Exercise 1 offer advice on developing these areas of behaviour 

Being under pressure is a normal part of life: it can help people to feel more energised and get results. But if that tips into stress and someone becomes overwhelmed by stress, these feelings could become a problem for someone’s mental health.  

As a manager, your behaviour is important in preventing and managing stress for your team and you have a crucial role in preventing and reducing stress in your team.  

Think about the following:  

• Responsibility for assessing stress risks (including doing a stress risk assessment) and taking action on the results will often fall on you as a line manager, so you need to understand what your organisation’s processes and expectations are. Seek advice from HR if necessary. Also, the Health and Safety Executive has developed a range of practical tools such as a stress risk assessment and a Talking Toolkit to help managers start a conversation with employees to identify key stressors.  

• Consider using a wellness action plan (WAP) as a proactive way to help people manage their mental health. The WAP is inspired by Mary Ellen Copeland’s Wellness Recovery Action Plan® (WRAP®): see the Mind website for guides on WAPs for managers and employees.  

• As a result of COVID-19, many people are working continually from home, and this trend is expected to continue for some beyond the pandemic. It’s therefore important to provide effective mental health support for people who work remotely. The Charlie Waller Trust have published a WAP guide for people working from home.  

See our manager guide on managing stress for advice on preventing stress in your team 

Related manager behaviour  

This relates closely to the behaviour areas Building and sustaining relationships, Being open, fair and consistent, Handling conflict and people management issues, and Providing knowledge, clarity and guidance. Look at Exercise 5 , Exercise 1,  Exercise 3 and Exercise 4 for advice on how to develop these areas. 

Recognition and early detection of mental health issues play a vital role in people being able to access the support they need. You can help by doing the following:  

• If you think a team member is experiencing poor mental health, or they disclose it, it’s essential to have a conversation with them about their needs. This conversation should include agreeing appropriate support or adjustments and signposting to more expert sources of help where needed. Discuss this with HR to establish what this could look like for your team member.  

• Make sure you understand your organisation’s HR policies so that you can make helpful adjustments for people, manage any absence and the return-to-work process in a supportive way, and take any mental health issue into account during performance management.  

• If people experience poor mental health, make sure you know how to refer them to more expert sources of help provided by your organisation – for example, an employee assistance programme (EAP) and occupational health services if available (see the Further resources list at the end of this guide). 

Top tips for supportive listening 

• Avoid interruptions – switch off phones, ensure colleagues can’t walk in and interrupt.  

• Ask simple, open, non-judgemental questions.  

• Avoid judgemental or patronising responses.  

• Speak calmly.  

• Maintain good eye contact.  

• Listen actively and carefully.  

• Encourage the employee to talk.  

• Show empathy and understanding.  

• Be prepared for some silences and be patient.  

• Focus on the person, not the problem.  

• Avoid making assumptions or being prescriptive.  

• Do not promise to keep the conversation confidential if someone has confided suicidal thoughts. 

• Follow up afterwards to check they are okay and have received help. 

Related manager behaviour  

You may find it helpful to think through your capacity to Build and sustain relationships. Exercise 5 offers advice on developing this area of behaviour. 

As a manager, you will typically be the first point of contact if someone needs to discuss any concerns or feels distressed. In response, you need to have the confidence to not shy away from personal or emotional issues and to feel comfortable having sensitive conversations with employees. It is important to remember that suicidal thoughts are much more common than is imagined. You also need to feel confident in signposting to expert sources of support, such as occupational health and an employee assistance programme, if available, and/or to GP services and external sources of support.  

Dealing with a sensitive situation like suicide can be very challenging: if you are concerned about a team member, you need to be prepared to reach out to them and ask how they are, perhaps even asking about whether they are experiencing suicidal thoughts if appropriate. However, always remember that you are not qualified to act as your team member’s counsellor, therapist or confidante, nor to give a diagnosis. Make sure you get support from HR and other experts if you are unsure how to handle the situation or if you are finding the situation challenging for your own wellbeing. 

Many people worry that mentioning suicide to someone may encourage that individual to attempt suicide, but this is not the case, as the Business in the Community/Public Health England make clear in their myth-busting toolkit: "Talking about suicide will not put the idea in someone’s mind, but it will make the topic less taboo." 

Furthermore, individuals who have been experiencing suicidal thoughts will often say it’s a relief to be able to discuss what they were experiencing. As a manager, if you suspect a member of your team is having suicidal thoughts, it is recommended that you ask them about it.  

Don’t be afraid about listening to someone who shares suicidal thoughts, but be prepared to signpost them to more qualified sources of help. You are not expected to be their counsellor, therapist or confidante. For example, if someone is experiencing suicidal thoughts, signpost them to their GP or specialist mental health services. 

Related manager behaviour  

You may find it helpful to think through your capacity to Build and sustain relationships. Exercise 5 offers advice on developing this area of behaviour. 

It’s important to use appropriate language relating to sensitive subjects such as mental health and suicide. Samaritans point out that inappropriate use of language can perpetuate stigma or unhelpfully sensationalise or inadvertently romanticise a suicide death. 

Using the terms to avoid can inadvertently contribute to the stigma associated with talking about suicide and can silence people who might otherwise seek help. See Samaritans’ guidelines for more information.  

Self-harm 

Self-harm is when you purposefully hurt yourself as a reaction to adversity, or as a way of trying to cope with very difficult feelings, painful memories or overwhelming situations and experiences. (See Mind guidance for more information.) The Cross-Government Suicide Prevention Workplan recognises self-harm as a potential risk factor for suicide, but most people who self-harm will not go on to take their own life. However, should self-harm be talked about by an employee, signposting to appropriate medical services is advised (see NHS advice). We have provided a range of useful definitions relating to mental health below. 

It’s important to remember that asking about suicide will not put the thought into someone’s mind. If a person is not suicidal (or they do not wish to talk about it), they will simply say they are not having thoughts. More importantly, asking about suicide is communicating it’s okay to talk about it and the person might approach you or someone else at a later stage, when they are ready.  

It’s important to ask questions about mental health or suicide with empathy and sensitivity, but also directly and clearly. People will often initially name suicide thinking by hinting at it, or using a metaphor (‘I just want to get out of everyone’s way’, or ‘I feel a burden to people’). The ‘rule of thumb’ is: if in doubt, ask. Do so simply and clearly: ‘Have you had thoughts about ending your life?’, or ‘Do things get so bad for you that you think about suicide?’ The actual words you use are less important than that they are clear and to the point. Fearing talking about suicide is always worse than actually talking about suicide.  

If a person is asked and they say they are not having thoughts, it’s worth following up with something like, ‘If anything changes, please do feel able to talk to me about it.’ Keep having regular conversations and remind them of the support available to them. 

If someone says they are having suicidal thoughts, you may then decide it is appropriate to ask them if they have had any plans or intention to act on those thoughts and encourage them to contact their GP. Knowing this additional information may help you signpost more effectively. You could also ask the individual if there is someone they trust who they would like you to contact on their behalf, such as a close friend or family member. You could then ask permission to retain the person’s contact details in case there are further situations where it would be helpful to contact them on the employee’s behalf, for example if the individual contacts you in distress.  

It’s not possible to offer full confidentiality if someone tells you that they have suicidal thoughts. If a team member asks if they can talk to you in confidence, you need to make clear – consistent with any mental health policy your organisation may have – that you may need to sensitively share information if you believe someone to be at risk. Make sure you know who to speak to if a team member shares suicidal thoughts with you: this might be HR and/or a senior manager and/or occupational health services if available.  

If an employee discloses they are experiencing suicidal thoughts, you should encourage them to contact their GP (or doctor) as the first step for support.  

Samaritans offers practical advice and videos explaining simple actions that can help you be there for someone who is experiencing suicidal thoughts. 

The resources from Samaritans also emphasise the importance of seeking professional support and when to step back to look after yourself. It’s important to remember that you are not a counsellor or clinician, to remain within the boundaries of your role and to offer signposting to professional help where appropriate. There are a number of specialist charities that can provide immediate and specialist support to talk to someone with suicidal thoughts, via a helpline and/ or their websites and by email (see the Further resources at the end of this guide).  

Emergency situations  

The Samaritans guidance If you think it’s an emergency advises the following:  

• If it’s felt that the individual is in immediate danger of taking their own life, you should call an ambulance, and not leave the person alone.  

• The Samaritans have ‘in the moment advice’ when people are close to the point of attempting suicide. They might feel disassociated from others, the world around them, and even their own emotions – like they are in a bubble – and they sometimes might not show any visible signs of distress. To help burst this bubble, reach out and talk to them to help draw their attention back to the world around them – for example, asking simple questions that don’t focus on why they are feeling the way they do, but just allow them to be present. Perhaps asking them simply to focus on their breathing, or an object in the room, can help. It is important to make the suicidal person feel safe, connected and validated.  

• Once you have helped the person in danger access emergency care, there are several ways you can support them. Being present – online, on the phone or in person – and waiting for the ambulance with them can be helpful.  

• Also be aware of dangers to others. The means of suicide can sometimes put others at risk: jumping from a tall building or walking into traffic, for example. If you are concerned about the safety of others, you should also ask for the police when calling for an ambulance, as they have the powers (unlike ambulance staff) to safely contain a situation.  

• How much support you offer is up to you. Looking after someone who is struggling with suicidal thoughts and feelings is hard. And it’s important to make sure you’re okay.  

No one should be made to feel responsible for the actions of another person who is feeling suicidal. If you or another team member provides support to someone in this situation, you need to make sure that you/they get appropriate support in turn, for example through your organisation’s occupational health or employee assistance programme services or similar: see Mind’s advice. 

Although it’s a rare event, an organisation needs to be prepared to respond very quickly to a death by suicide and to give support to employees, including access to wellbeing services and psychological support such as bereavement counselling, as well as practical support like compassionate leave.  

The unexpected death of a colleague, whatever the cause, can be very upsetting, but if the death is by suicide the emotional impact on close colleagues can be even more extreme. If an employee dies by suicide, the psychological effect on their immediate colleagues and the wider workforce can be profound and long lasting. Individuals can also be very affected by the death by suicide of a former colleague, especially if they worked closely with the deceased and/or was or still is a close friend.  

As a manager, you need to know your organisation’s policy and provisions for responding to the death by suicide of an employee. The psychological impact of a suicide can take time to present; this means you and others in your organisation should be ready to provide support at any time a person asks for it or seems like they need it (support should be offered without their asking).  

A number of charities provide very helpful services such as helplines that you can also help people access (see the Further resources at the end of this guide). 

As a manager, you will probably be involved in implementing the organisation’s response to the suicide for your own team, particularly if the employee worked in your team. Compassion and kindness from you will be instrumental in creating a caring and supportive culture in which people feel they can reach out if they need help, and will also help foster peer support.  

By showing compassion you can encourage a healthy grieving process. This includes active listening and empathy, as well as being prepared to make temporary changes to work schedules or workloads to support people where needed. Having the courage to talk about how you have personally been affected by the suicide can also send an important message to people that it’s not a sign of weakness to express their feelings.  

Do remember you need to look after yourself too and seek support if you need it. 

Related manager behaviour  

You may find it helpful to think through your capacity to Build and sustain relationships. Exercise 5 offers advice on developing this area of behaviour. 

It is better to be cautious about what information you communicate, both because the circumstances of an individual’s death may be subject to an investigation, and in order to be sensitive to the needs of close family and friends. The bereaved family may not want the manner of death disclosed. Your organisation will need to decide what to tell employees about the death, in consultation with the employee’s family, who may have strong views about whether it was or wasn’t a suicide. The suicide may not be confirmed for several weeks or months, following an inquest where the coroner has to legally confirm the cause of death, and so any formal mention of the death should refer to ‘suspected suicide’. Any communication should definitely not mention the method of suicide.  

As a manager, whether or not the person worked in your team, you will need to take a similarly sensitive approach and ensure that communication is effectively handled in your team. It’s important to think carefully about the way you choose to communicate with people, and different approaches may be needed for different individuals. For example, if a team member was close to the employee who has died by suicide, it’s better to have the conversation in person, where you can show empathy and support, and signpost to expert help where needed.  

If some details have already been informally discussed by employees, this will need sensitive handling. It may be necessary to contain the flow of any rumours or misinformation, as these can quickly circulate to fill any vacuum in communication. This should include giving employees guidance on the need to be careful about their use of social media. 

Everyone’s experience of grief is different, but people bereaved by a suicide can experience complicated grief, including feelings of shame, guilt, rejection, isolation, trauma and even a sense of responsibility. A death by suicide is likely to be sudden, which can add to the feeling of shock some people may feel. Make sure your team knows how to access the support available to them; this may include occupational health and employee assistance programmes, if they are available, and/or helping employees to access external support services such as Samaritans and other charities (see the Further resources at the end of this guide).  

It’s also possible that bereaved employees experience more general poorer mental health, or their grief could exacerbate pre-existing issues. You will need to be particularly mindful and caring of any individuals whom you know may already be vulnerable and need additional support.  

You need to feel comfortable having sensitive conversations with people and being able to listen to their concerns and appreciate how they are feeling. But you can’t be expected to act as your team members’ counsellor, or to be expert on the grieving process. Just understand that everyone’s experience of grief and loss is different, and it can be a long process. The type of support needed should be based on individual need, as everyone is likely to be impacted differently. When members of your team have been bereaved by suicide, also consider the practical support they may need. This may simply mean giving people the space and time to take breaks when needed to deal with the news and support each other. It could also include time off through the organisation’s compassionate leave policy to attend a funeral (with the relatives’ permission) and/or to support the grieving process, depending on the individual circumstances, as well as ongoing flexibility to help people balance work with their grief. You need to know how to accommodate any leave requests and how any absence should be managed in line with your organisation’s sickness absence and return-to-work processes.  

People experience bereavement and grief in different ways and will need different responses and support from their organisation. As a manager, try to be as flexible as possible, and remember to:  

• be sensitive to requests for time off, especially around anniversaries and other special events  

• consider a phased return to work  

• be open to ongoing flexible working provisions.  

It’s important to understand that different cultures grieve, practise mourning rituals and respond to death in significantly different ways. Attitudes to suicide can also vary across different religions and faiths. You may need to have sensitive conversations with employees to check whether their religion or culture requires them to observe any particular practices or make special arrangements and explore what extra support would be helpful. Sudden’s Guide to Cultural and Religious Issues Professionals May Encounter Following a Bereavement and Public Health England’s (2016) Faith at End of Life – A resource for professionals may help with this.  

Some teams find benefit in having debriefing sessions. These may be facilitated by an external person, such as a bereavement specialist or counsellor, to help members of a team talk about their experiences, and also to provide an opportunity to reflect on, and develop, a positive mental health culture.  

See the CIPD guidance on compassionate bereavement support for further advice on how to support someone who has been bereaved 

Related manager behaviour  

These actions relate closely to the behaviours focusing on Being open, fair and consistent, and Providing knowledge, clarity and guidance. Exercise 1 and Exercise 4 offer advice on developing these areas of behaviour. 

Do understand that you can also be affected by what has happened, particularly if you managed the person who has died by suicide or were close to them. Don’t think you have to hide any feelings you may have, as it’s completely human to experience them, and talking about how you feel can help and can be a part of empathy. But how you react and grieve is a very personal experience. Be aware that having a responsibility to support people in your team who feel bereaved and are grieving can also place a heavy emotional toll on you as a manager. This is perfectly understandable and your organisation, including HR and your own manager, should be there for you to make sure your wellbeing is protected.  

You should not in any way feel that you are expected to act as a counsellor or medical expert, and it’s important you know where the line lies between listening, having empathy and showing support, and where more expert help is needed by someone. Be very mindful of your own mental wellbeing at this time of emotional crisis. If you feel deeply affected personally, don’t be afraid to seek help from some of the wellbeing resources available in your organisation, and/or from some of the external helplines and charities listed at the end of this guide. And remember, asking for help when you need it is a sign of strength and not weakness. 

As well as ensuring there’s support for the wellbeing of your team following the death by suicide of a colleague, you may need to co-ordinate the practicalities. The empty desk or workstation of the employee will be a difficult reminder of their absence, and you and your HR team should have a discussion about how to sensitively gather their belongings and return them to their next of kin. There needs to be careful thought about the timing – if it’s done immediately this could cause colleagues to feel upset, and so a respectful time period should be allowed. You and close colleagues of the person who has died may want to share what is likely to be a very upsetting task. You should ensure there’s appropriate support on hand for anyone who needs it.  

You and/or your HR team will also need to manage other practicalities such as informing any external clients or stakeholders that the employee has died (without being specific about the cause of death), alternative arrangements for future contact with the organisation and an appropriate out-of-office redirect message. Colleagues in your team will also need guidance on what to say if they are asked by other colleagues and/ or external people about the deceased. This process, and whether or not it’s necessary, will depend on the nature of the employee’s role. Although discussing and carrying out these tasks will be emotionally difficult, they are necessary and could help to avoid more distressing situations, for example clients calling and asking to speak to the individual. 

It could help the grief process to organise an appropriate and sensitively staged tribute for the deceased employee. This may be as simple as giving team members time off to go to the funeral – if this is to happen, you or your HR team need to talk to the family to check whether work colleagues are welcome. Any memorial should be approached in the same way as it would be if another colleague had died, and not treated differently just because it concerns a death by suicide. This is because it’s important that the organisation doesn’t inadvertently romanticise the death by suicide. If the organisation lays on an event to honour the life of the deceased, you need to ensure that your team members can attend if they want. Co-workers may also wish to give something back to the community in a positive way to remember their colleague, such as organising a charity event to raise money for a cause that was close to the heart of the deceased. 

If someone feels that the intensity of their feelings is affecting their daily lives, or they are experiencing suicidal thoughts, they should seek support and contact their doctor.   

For less urgent situations, your organisation’s occupational health and employee assistance programmes may be a good source of support, if available; it is worth giving people specific links and contact details. 

Mental health 

We all have mental health, just as we all have physical health. How we feel can vary from good mental wellbeing, to difficult feelings and emotions, to severe mental health problems. Mental health, like physical health, can fluctuate on a spectrum from good to poor and we all have times when we feel better or worse.  

Good mental wellbeing 

Good mental wellbeing is a term that describes a positive state of mind. It enhances resilience and promotes our ability to cope with the day-to-day stresses of life, and helps us to work productively. It enables us to interact positively with others and realise our own potential. When we talk about ‘wellbeing’ in this guide, we are referring primarily to mental wellbeing, while acknowledging that this is also affected by physical health.  

Poor mental health 

Poor mental health may result from low mood, stress or anxiety. This may be because we’re feeling restless, confused, short-tempered, upset or preoccupied.  

Mental health problem 

A mental health problem is when difficult experiences or feelings go on for a long time and affect our ability to enjoy and live our lives in the way we want. This could involve a specific diagnosis from a doctor. For more detailed information on types of mental health problem, see Mind’s guidance. 

Work-related stress 

Work-related stress is defined by the Health and Safety Executive as ‘the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them’ at work. Stress, including work-related stress, can be a significant cause of illness. Stress is not a medical diagnosis, but severe stress that continues for a long time may lead to a diagnosis of depression or anxiety, or more severe mental health problems. 

Burnout 

Sustained work-related stress can also lead to feelings of burnout, which the World Health Organization does not classify as a medical condition but defines as: ‘a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions:  

• feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;  

• increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and  

• reduced professional efficacy.’  

Feelings of burnout are not necessarily directly associated with triggering thoughts of suicide, but can provide an important context in which such thoughts might further develop. 

Self-harm 

Self-harm is when you purposefully hurt yourself as a reaction to adversity, or as a way of trying to cope with very difficult feelings, painful memories or overwhelming situations and experiences. (See Mind guidance for more information.) The Cross-Government Suicide Prevention Workplan recognises self-harm as a potential risk factor for suicide, but most people who self-harm will not go on to take their own life. However, all instances of self-harm should be taken seriously. Should self-harm be talked about by an employee, signposting to appropriate medical or psychological therapy services, such as a GP, is advised (see NHS advice). 

Suicide 

It’s important to use appropriate terms so there is greater awareness and understanding about suicide.  

Terms appropriately used to refer to suicide include ‘take one’s life’, ‘death by suicide’, ‘suicide attempt’ and ‘person at risk of suicide’ (see Samaritans guidelines).  

Phrases to avoid include ‘commit suicide’, ‘cry for help’, a ‘successful’ or ‘unsuccessful suicide attempt’, ‘suicide victim’, ‘suicide epidemic’, and ‘suicide prone’.  

These terms can inadvertently contribute to the stigma associated with talking about suicide and can silence people who might otherwise seek help.