Mental Health Awareness – What You Need to Know
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. The theme for 2025 is “Turn Awareness into Action,” according to Mental Health America. This theme motivates workers and employers to take concrete action towards improving mental health.
These actions can be through advocacy, education, personal action, employee training, and the creation of a supportive culture. Regardless of the tactic the overall aim is to move towards positive change regarding how we view and treat mental health.
Sources: American Addiction Centers, Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Contributing Factors Affecting Worker Mental Health – Suicide
It is well known that the construction industry has a disproportionately high prevalence of mental health issues and a higher suicide rate compared to many other industries.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that the suicide rate among construction workers is significantly higher than the national average and other industries. In 2020, the suicide rate for construction laborers was 53.2 per 100,000 workers, while the national average was 17.3 per 100,000.
There are multiple factors that contribute to higher suicide rates and mental health concerns in the construction industry.
They include the following:
- Male dominated industry, with men experiencing the highest suicide rates
- Stigma of seeing mental health as a personal weakness in a male dominated industry.
- Shame and fear of judgment
- Chronic pain causing drug and alcohol use and overuse
- Seasonal and cyclical work contributing to financial instability
- Deadline driven work causing high stress
- Limited job control- many layers of management
- Long hours including overtime, leading to fatigue
- Separation of family due to long hours or location
Sources: Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/Design by National Asphalt and Pavement Assoc.
Contributing Factors Affecting Worker Mental Health – Substance Abuse
Construction workers are more likely to experience substance abuse problems and are significantly more likely to report marijuana, cocaine, and non-prescription opioid use than other workers. Construction workers have been shown in many studies to have high rates of death from overdose compared to workers in other industries.
One study showed that construction workers experienced 15% of all workplace overdose deaths, despite representing about 7% of the workforce. That same study showed that the construction industry has the third-highest rate of workplace overdose fatalities from all substances among industries in the U.S.
Construction workers were more likely than workers in other industries to receive opioids when receiving a prescription for pain medication due to the difficult physical labor and injuries on the job.
The many factors noted above for suicide also apply when it comes to substance abuse in the construction industry. The stressors noted often start a downward spiral of mental health issues and the culture of the industry is a large contributing factor.
(See NIOSH resources below for study sources)
Creating a Mentally Healthy Organizational Culture
Employers feel an increased awareness of the need to create a caring organizational culture. Stressors within the industry have highlighted the importance of taking care of one’s mental health,
Also, with the recent uptick in construction projects and hiring workers, more workers are under greater pressure to perform. Many of these job stressors are not going away so companies need to take a better look and raise awareness of mental health on the job.
Now with economic uncertainty, the companies that will stay competitive and retain workers will be the ones who create a “culture of caring” or a “culture of safety.”
Organizational culture starts at the top, making it essential that leaders recognize their role in helping workers feel valued and appreciated for their efforts. Those organizations that create a caring culture are likely to experience higher retention rates, higher performance and productivity, and better business results.
Mental Health is Up to Everyone
The U.S. construction industry has made significant progress in addressing mental health and suicide prevention, yet clearly more is needed. Employers who communicate efforts to educate, train and help employees who are struggling will be more competitive and better employers in the construction industry.
Mental Health Awareness Month is a good time to make an effort to destigmatize mental health issues and make care a priority.
Compliance Consultants, Inc. believes in a “culture of safety” as a competitive advantage and offers many insights and tactics for putting one in place.
Read our blog on the topic to learn more.
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