Facing the Crisis in Construction

America’s construction industry is in crisis, and far too few people are aware of the problem. Mental health has become a huge issue in our society at large, but it is even more prevalent in the construction industry. Why? There is a real stigma in talking about suicide. Failure to address the issue is particularly a problem in the construction industry, given the acute circumstances in construction. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), construction is the occupation that sees the most deaths by suicide. As industry leaders, it’s our responsibility to do something about it.

The Problem

Here’s a shocking statistic to put the issue in context: Construction workers die by suicide at a rate five times higher than deaths caused by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s “fatal four” most common causes of construction fatalities (falls, electrocution, struck-bys and caught-ins).

First things first: We need to acknowledge the problem. If we don’t talk about suicide, we can’t get those at risk the help they need. Part of doing right by our people is getting the word out. Spreading awareness means more people have tools to recognize and support their peers, and, perhaps most importantly, it means those suffering know they aren’t alone.

The nonprofit Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention (CIASP) is an organization championing practices and policies to better support the construction industry’s at-risk workforce. CIASP’s goal is to eliminate suicide in the construction industry. This group was formed eight years ago by industry leaders.

We encourage everyone reading this to make use of the training and assistance resources CIASP makes available. For more information on CIASP’s offerings, visit preventconstructionsuicide.com and check out the other links in this article.

Why Construction?

Here are a few things we think everyone in our industry should keep in mind when it comes to mental health and suicide prevention.

As mentioned, no industry loses more to suicide than construction. In the U.S., male workers are at a higher risk of dying by suicide than female workers, and the suicide rate of construction workers is a shocking 65% higher than male workers in other industries.

Construction workers put their bodies on the line. Injury and chronic pain are contributing factors — as is substance abuse, with drug dependence often stemming from the toll this work takes on the body. The stereotypical attitude of the stoic or “tough guy,” an attitude prevalent among construction workers, further compounds the social stigma that prevents emotional issues from being raised and addressed. Finally, it’s partly a demographic issue. As an industry, we proudly welcome military veterans to the workforce. Unfortunately, veterans can experience mental health challenges resulting from the incredibly difficult demands of their service.

Resolving this mental health crisis isn’t just good for the workforce; it’s good for business. Depression is the leading cause of disability and increases the risks associated with other chronic medical conditions. Depressed employees miss an average of 31.4 days per year and lose another 27.9 to unproductivity, based on 2022 data. Due in part to this impact on productivity, research suggests that investments in the mental health of your employees could generate returns of 400%.

Eliminating Suicide in Construction

The first and most important hurdle we need to clear involves normalizing conversations about mental health struggles. By creating the time and space for meaningful reactions, we can build relationships that help prevent feelings of isolation. When peers are struggling, open channels of communication help us hear the warning signs. Here are a few things to look out for in conversations:

• Feelings of being trapped or a burden to others
• Confrontation and conflicts with co-workers
• Expressions of wanting to die

Major life changes can also be causal factors, including the lossof loved ones, relationship issues, illness or injury, financial difficulties and other sources of stress. Observed behavior may also suggest a mental health struggle, including increased lateness, a decline in productivity, near misses and safety incidents, signs of substance abuse, agitation, mood swings and social withdrawal.

Of course, this isn’t an exhaustive list, and very often, there are no warning signs — that’s one reason CIASP emphasizes the importance of training everyone. Those suffering in silence are not beyond reach. For that reason, regular trainings are recommended.

Impact of Opioids

Substance abuse, like suicide, is known as a disease of despair. In an industry that takes a toll on bodies, the abuse of drugs and alcohol is a coping mechanism that’s all too common. Statistically, anyone starting opioids for legitimate use, like the treatment of pain, has a 6% chance of remaining on the drug a year later, and the longer opioids are used, the higher the likelihood of long-term dependence.

The Alliance for Naloxone Safety in the Workplace provides tools to educate employees on the danger of opioids and site safety practices, including the use of overdose-reversing medicines. Furthermore, substance use is not the only source of impairment. Long hours, stress and other factors can contribute to unsafe work environments. That means that drug education, random screens and zero-tolerance policies need to be augmented by more foundational health and safety protections like ensuring a reasonable workload and that stress levels are manageable.

In closing, here are a few CIASP resources that everyone within our industry should be aware of:

• preventconstructionsuicide.com
• preventconstructionsuicide.com/training

It goes without saying, but we hope everyone reading this takes these principles and puts them into action. A construction company’s greatest resource is its people; taking care of that resource is not only the right thing to do, but it is also a wise business decision. There’s no greater cause than supporting colleagues in need.