title: The Impact of a Suicide Prevention Strategy on Reducing the Economic Cost of Suicide in the New South Wales Construction Industry.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little research has been conducted into the cost and prevention of self-harm in the workplace.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To quantify the economic cost of self-harm and suicide among New South Wales (NSW) construction industry (CI) workers and to examine the potential economic impact of implementing Mates in Construction (MIC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Direct and indirect costs were estimated. Effectiveness was measured using the relative risk ratio (RRR). In Queensland (QLD), relative suicide risks were estimated for 5-year periods before and after the commencement of MIC. For NSW, the difference between the expected (i.e., using NSW pre-MIC [2008-2012] suicide risk) and counterfactual suicide cases (i.e., applying QLD RRR) provided an estimate of potential suicide cases averted in the post-MIC period (2013-2017). Results were adjusted using the average uptake (i.e., 9.4%) of MIC activities in QLD. Economic savings from averted cases were compared with the cost of implementing MIC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cost of self-harm and suicide in the NSW CI was AU $527 million in 2010. MIC could potentially avert 0.4 suicides, 1.01 full incapacity cases, and 4.92 short absences, generating annual savings of AU $3.66 million. For every AU $1 invested, the economic return is approximately AU $4.6.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MIC represents a positive economic investment in workplace safety.
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Human, Health and Social Sciences, Central Queensland University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Christopher M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Doran
authors.affiliation: 2 Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, New Lambton, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Rod
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.affiliation: 3 Mates in Construction, Spring Hill, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Jorgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gullestrup
authors.affiliation: 4 Mater Hill Psychology Services, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Swannell
authors.affiliation: 5 McCaughey VicHealth Centre for Community Wellbeing, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Allison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Milner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D060389:Construction Industry / Q000191:economics*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009517:New South Wales; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000191:economics; D013405:Suicide / Q000191:economics*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control; D000092864:Suicide Prevention
keywords: Mates in Construction; cost; economic; prevention; self-harm; suicide; workplace