Occupational Deaths of Despair:
Scope of the Problem and Strategies for Prevention

Over the last two decades, the US has experienced a dramatic increase in both drug-related deaths and suicide, commonly known as deaths of despair. There are many factors that have contributed to this increase, including an epidemic of prescription drug overdoses and increasing financial instability, all of which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Deaths of despair have impacted all sectors of our society, but have been shown to be more prominent in certain worker populations. For example, the construction industry has a drug overdose rate that is 6-7 times higher and a suicide rate that is four times higher than the national average.

This course is designed for safety professionals interested in understanding the societal issues and psychosocial factors that contribute to deaths of despair and in developing strategies for prevention in the workplace, including best practices for open communication about mental health and addiction, and removing barriers to treatment.

This session will be offered as a live virtual session to attend online from your home or office. For those in Spokane 9/28 and wish to get together, we will have classroom at the convention center. The session will be on Zoom but viewed collectively with a UW facilitator leading the virtual session and offering further discussion.

Download the course flyer

Presented by: University of Washington, Northwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety