Suicide Prevention Training Among Occupational Groups: A Cross-Sectional Study of State-Level Policies as of July 2022.

Abstract

We systematically assessed the presence and distribution of state-level policies, specifically statutes and regulations that were in effect as of July 1, 2022, related to training any occupational groups in suicide prevention. Utilizing legal epidemiology methods, we conducted a cross-sectional assessment of all 50 states and the District of Columbia. We identified 824 policies in our initial search and retained 477 in our final policy database. Policies were distributed across 5 occupational settings: educational (n = 142), behavioral health (n = 130), carceral (n = 111), primary and specialty care (n = 60), and other (n = 58). Fourteen policies pertained to multiple settings. On average, each state had 9.4 policies and covered 3 occupational settings. All states had at least 1 policy (minimum: 1; maximum: 42). Training occupational groups in suicide prevention is a widespread strategy, but significant variation exists across states, occupational settings, and specific occupational groups. Further research is necessary to determine whether this is an effective suicide prevention strategy at the population level. (<i>Am J Public Health</i>. 2025;115(10):1742-1752. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2025.308193).