Construction workers have one of the highest suicide rates of any profession, but a new international initiative hopes to combat the crisis that is devastating this segment of the working population.
Male construction workers are four times more likely than the general population to end their own lives, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That represents 20% of occupational suicides in the UK, and in the US, the situation is just as bad.
It is the second highest rate of all industries, with 45 suicides per 100,000 workers, second only to the mining and oil and gas industries.
“Construction workers face unique sources of stress,” Doug Parker, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health at the US Department of Labor, said in a statement. These growing stresses include “uncertain seasonal work; remote work and work travel that keep workers away from their homes and support systems; long, hard days … and the work-related risks of serious injury,” Parker said.
Construction employment in the New York City metropolitan area, which includes Long Island, the lower Hudson Valley and Long Island, totaled 373,800 jobs, according to the most recent data from the state comptroller. That amount represents 4.7% of all construction jobs in the United States.
Previous CDC research analyzing 2017-2020 data from the National Violent Death Reporting System indicated that “suicide risk is associated with low-skill jobs, lower education, lower absolute and relative socioeconomic status, work-related access to lethal media, and job stress, including support from supervisors and colleagues, low job control, and job insecurity.”
However, there is hope on the horizon: a just-announced collaboration between global electricity and gas company National Grid and the UK’s University of Warwick hopes to solve some of the life-threatening mental health hurdles facing utility workers. the construction.
A beta facility called “Health Hub,” installed on a construction site in Kent, England, includes a gym, social spaces, one-on-one wellness coaching, health awareness events, and a canteen with free healthy meals.
Several workers reported that the on-site facilities “made life easier” by helping them better balance work and mental health without having to give up time with friends and family.
Workers also reported more opportunities to make healthy lifestyle choices and experience improved morale, a sense of appreciation from their employer, and increased awareness of mental health support systems.
In conjunction with the inaugural Health Hub, researchers from the University of Warwick Medical School conducted an analysis of the issues construction workers face, describing how long working hours taxed their physical and mental health and strained their family life, as well as the stigma surrounding mental health issues.
“It was eye opening to learn the scope of the challenges workers in the construction industry face and the spiraling consequences this can have on their livelihood and well-being,” research assistant Sophie Tyerman of Warwick Medical School said in a statement.
“What stood out from the participant interviews was the camaraderie and mutual support that workers provide, as they often see their colleagues more than their own families,” Tyerman added.
“When it comes to construction facilities, those on site tend to be contractors,” said Emma Ford, director of construction for National Grid, which provides public services to the UK and northeast US.
“This may mean they don’t get the same kind of benefits that our people get. Health Hub was designed to help change that.”
If you are having suicidal thoughts or experiencing a mental health crisis and you live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside of the five boroughs, you can call the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or visit SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.