OBJECTIVES: This research sought to investigate the influence of being a in male-dominated occupation on suicide.
METHODS: A population-level retrospective mortality study was conducted over the period 2001 to 2015. Data from the Australian Census and the National Coronial Information System were combined. Negative binomial regression was used to assess the relationship between occupational gender ratio and suicide rates, controlling for age, socioeconomic status and year of death. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis accounted for unmeasured confounding due to common mental disorders.
RESULTS: Males in male-dominated occupations had a rate ratio (RR) of 7.50 (95%CI 6.07 to 9.25) compared to males in female-dominated occupations. Females in male-dominated occupations had a RR of 0.13 (95%CI 0.07 to 0.26) compared to females in female-dominated occupations.
RESULTS for males were maintained after adjusting for common mental disorders. There was evidence of interaction on both additive and multiplicative scales.
CONCLUSIONS: The gendered context of an occupation influences suicide, with varying risks for women and men. More research is needed to understand the mechanisms of this relationship. Implications for public health: These results suggest the need for targeted suicide prevention activities in male-dominated occupational groups.