Managing Mental Health Struggles in the Construction Industry

Working in construction poses many physical risks. However, the leading cause of death for construction workers is not from falls, harmful substance exposure, or other job site accidents, but from suicide.

The construction industry ranks among the highest in suicide rates compared to other professions and industries, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. In 2022, over 6,000 construction workers died by suicide.

The suicide rate of male construction workers is especially troubling. Over 5,000 male construction workers die from suicide annually, which is five times more than those who die from fatal work injuries. The CDC reported that 56 of every 100,000 male construction workers died by suicide in 2021, which is more than double the national average for adult males at around 23 per 100,000.

How Did We Get Here?

The declining mental health and rising suicide rate of construction workers is an issue that can’t be remedied with protective goggles, hats, and gloves. Protecting the safety of construction workers now goes well beyond their physical well-being.

Even though one in five construction workers struggle with anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues, less than 5% claim to see a mental health professional. The national average of those receiving mental health care among U.S. adults is at 22%, over four times the amount that construction workers report.

The effects of depression can have an impact on a person's physical performance and cognitive function. In a profession where precautions must be met to keep everyone safe, construction workers can’t risk being impaired on the job site.

As part of a round table on mental health in construction, Cindy DePrater, Senior Vice President of Turner Construction, said, “Research shows that 60% to 70% of all safety ‘incidents’ have some type of health or wellness issue as an underlying factor. When we show up on the job, we are bringing all parts of our personal lives – our relationships, home life, health issues, financial struggles or even a reliance on substances. And all these factors may impact our ability to do our work safely.”

To understand the deteriorating mental health of construction workers, it is important to understand the challenges they face every day as a guide to help find solutions.

Some challenges construction workers face are the long workdays and the physical demands of this profession. To combat long, tiring hours on site, balancing work with necessary rest is essential for workers’ physical and mental health. So, it is important to have sustainable work schedules.

Construction workers also have to endure the immense pressure of working in such an important industry. Without the construction industry and its workers, we wouldn’t have the roadways, buildings, and other vital infrastructure that keeps us connected and shapes our communities. Recognizing the weight that can be on these workers’ shoulders and utilizing stress management techniques can help construction workers cope with the pressure and anxiety associated with the profession.

Josh Vitale, Chairman of the Board for Construction Suicide Prevention Week and one of the founders of the GUTS project, has become heavily involved in the initiatives to reverse the course of suicide in the construction industry.  

“It would be rare to find someone in the industry who hasn’t known a person that has taken their life within the last year or two,” Vitale said. “As an industry, we just keep putting more and more pressure on the worker to outperform what they’ve done before, and at some point, it’s just untenable.”

How Can We, at GPRS, Help?

As a sponsor of Construction Safety Week, GPRS is proud to support their safety initiatives which serve as an important reminder for industry leaders to highlight the critical connection between safety and mental well-being. During Construction Safety Week each year, GPRS offers complimentary safety presentations to teams of construction workers across the country. In those presentations, mental health awareness and suicide prevention are highlighted along with the importance of keeping everyone safe on a job site.

The most recent theme of Construction Safety Week was “All In Together – PLAN, OWN, COMMIT.” Not only are these great guidelines for personal and team safety plans, they are also great guidelines for mental health and suicide prevention.

Going “All In Together” for mental health awareness and suicide prevention helps construction workers realize they are not alone and don’t need to deal with their mental health struggles by themselves.

By planning out therapy appointments and time in a busy schedule for rest and activities that relieve stress, construction workers can make sure their mental health matches their physical health at the end of every day.

By owning the pressure and stress of working in the construction industry, workers can find the root of what causes them the most anxiety and can properly cope with the associated feelings.

And by committing to positive mental health practices the same way they commit to the job site protocols that protect them physically, construction workers can reverse the course of the growing issue of rising suicide rates in the construction industry.

If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, please take advantage of these resources, phone lines, and links:

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
• Crisis Text Hotline: Test HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor
• Veteran Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1 or https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/
• Construction Safety Week: https://www.gp-radar.com/safety/csw
• Construction Safety Week Mental Health Resources: https://www.constructionsafetyweek.com/safety-culture/mental-health-resources/
• Construction Suicide Prevention Week: https://constructionsuicideprevention.com/
• “Man Therapy” (self-screen for depression, anxiety, substance use, and anger) https://mantherapy.org/