Title:
Risk and protective factors related to suicidality among United Steelworker (USW) heavy industry employees
Author:
Kathleen Megan Humphreys
Thesis Advisor:
Jeffrey M. Lating
Committee Member:
Martin F. Sherman
Committee Member:
Matthew W. Kirkhart
Committee Member:
Frank D. Golom
Committee Member:
Stephen E. Fowl
Degree Granting Institution:
Loyola University Maryland--College of Arts and Sciences
Place:
Baltimore (Md.)
Publisher:
Loyola Univeristy Maryland
Date Created:
2019
Type of Resource:
text
Genre:
thesis
Language:
eng
Format:
application/pdf
Physical Form:
electronic
Digital Source:
born digital
Abstract:
Death by suicide remains a deeply troubling concern for the mental health community. The possibility of suicide deaths is a particularly acute concern for individuals who are members of the United Steelworkers (USW) and are working in Labrador City, an isolated rural small mining community in the province of Newfoundland, Canada that has been experiencing a “suicide cluster” for approximately two years. This study explored risk and protective factors within this emotionally and physically challenging industrial environment associated with suicidal ideation and behaviors. Data collected using a convenience sample of heavy industry workers who completed measures assessing depression, alcohol consumption, trauma exposure, hope, and social support; these factors were then weighed against a measure designed to assess risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Increased suicidality was associated with depression (r = .558), PTSD symptoms (r = .574), alcohol use (r = .456), hopefulness (r = -.214), and trauma both in (r = .225) and outside (r = .389) of the workplace. After controlling for several experiential and demographic factors, the relation among suicidality and alcohol use, depression, and trauma outside the workplace remained statistically significant. For instance, an exposure to workplace trauma and probable PTSD diagnosis both increased the likelihood of being at elevated risk for suicide sixfold, moderate or higher depressive symptoms increased the risk fivefold, and problematic alcohol use increased the risk more than eightfold. The implications of these findings, as well as limitations and recommendations for future research, are discussed.
Subject:
Mental health
Subject:
United Steelworkers(USW)--Newfoundland and labrador alcoholism
Subject:
Alcoholism
Subject:
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Subject:
Suicidal ideation--Canada
Subject:
Suicide--Risk factors
Subject:
Employees--Suicidal behavior--Newfoundland--Canada
Subject:
Employees--Suicidal behavior--Labrador City--Canada
Subject:
Locus of control
Subject:
Electronic dissertations
Degree:
Doctor of Clinical Psychology
Level:
Doctor
Discipline:
Psychology
Restrictions on Access:
Author has given permission to make this work available online to Loyola Notre Dame Library basic constituency.
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Identifier:
KMHumphreys-20