By Whitney Abrams, Chief People Officer
National Suicide Prevention Month, recognized during September, is a month to bring awareness to the general public and those who are affected by suicide. Mental health struggles, such as suicidal thoughts, can happen to anyone at any time.
Mental health may be especially impacted by the unprecedented levels of loneliness many of us are experiencing. A 2023 Gallup poll indicated that one in five workers worldwide suffer from loneliness. Additionally, the United States Surgeon General issued a report in 2023 stating that our nation was experiencing an epidemic of loneliness and isolation. Surgeon General Murthy described how loneliness and social isolation affect our physical and mental health, noting how people who feel lonely are at higher risk for suicide.
The antidote to loneliness is connection. According to the Surgeon General’s report, “social connection may be one of the strongest protective factors against self-harm and suicide among people with and without serious underlying mental health challenges.” He also notes that our workplaces can play an important role in increasing and strengthening connection and recommends that workplaces focus on increasing social connection to improve employee health.
We can all make a difference in combatting loneliness. Here are a few ideas for each of us to try to support our colleagues:
- Check in. Reach out to teammates one-on-one or via meetings to check in on how your colleagues are doing and foster connection.
- When working onsite, build in a little time in your day for spontaneous hallway or water-cooler connections.
- Volunteer together. Volunteering offers many health benefits, including prevention of isolation. To learn more about how to use your sick days to volunteer, visit the King County Employee Giving Program webpage and click on ‘Volunteer Time Off’.
- Consider joining an Affinity Group. King County Affinity Groups provide the opportunity to connect with other people who share your identity. Many employees are eligible to participate in Affinity Groups during paid work time. To learn more about Affinity Groups and how to join them, visit the King County Affinity Group webpage.
There are also many resources available to support the mental health of King County employees. Please familiarize yourself with these resources so you can access them when needed or share with a teammate.
Four ways to learn more about King County Employee Mental Health Resources
- Watch this brief video about King County’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Making Life Easier (MLE) program.
- Explore this post about King County’s new MLE vendor, CuraLinc, including how you and your household members can access free therapy, online support groups, text coaching and more.
- Review this list of mental health benefits and resources available to King County employees.
- Consider participating in a Mental Health First Aid Training course.
Throughout the rest of September, Balanced You will continue to share information about suicide prevention. Let’s use these resources and information to connect with each other, to combat loneliness, and to promote mental health awareness and resources to reduce the risk of suicide.
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