Male construction workers are three times more likely to commit suicide that’s one a day

Why are suicide rates so high? Is it because of the stigma that surrounds the industry or is it that people lack access to professional help? In recent years a torch has been shone on mental health and the taboo is finally starting to fade. However, there is still a long way to go especially within the construction industry.

This blog will be looking into what mental health is and how it affects construction workers. We will also be highlighting some key finds from a recent survey by CIOB (the Chartered Institute of Building).

What is Mental Health?

As defined by WHO (World Health Organisation) mental health is “a state of wellbeing in which every individual realises his or her potential, can cope with normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and can make a contribution to their community”.

1 in 4 people in England will experience a mental health problem of some kind, this is because our mental health is forever changing just like our physical health and is influenced by many factors including:

  • Physical- lack of sleep/ lack routine/ binge drinking
  • Environment- social interaction/ uncertainty of work/ employment or work pressures.
  • Life events– bereavement/ illness/ accidents
  • Chronic- debt/ Misuse of drug/ living difficulties

Types of Mental Health Conditions

There are many different types of mental health conditions and they affect everyone in different ways. Below are some of the most common disorders

  • Mood Disorders; depression
  • Anxiety Disorders; PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) or Panic disorder
  • Psychotic Disorders; schizophrenia
  • Eating Disorders; anorexia or bulimia

HSE (Health and Safety Executives) reported that depression and anxiety accounted for 54% of working days lost in the past year, costing the economy between £74-99bn. We take an in-depth look into these mental health conditions and what causes them.

Depression

Feeling depressed is a widely used description when feeling low or sad but there is a difference between feeling depressed and being clinically depressed. Feeling low will normally pass quickly with support from friends and family without seriously affecting your life. When clinically depressed this feeling doesn’t just pass, it could last months, and symptoms can interfere with your everyday life.

Common symptoms of clinical depression are

  • Unusual sad mood that does not go away
  • Loss of enjoyment and interest in activities that used to be enjoyable
  • Lack of energy and tiredness

The severity can vary from mild to severe depending on how many symptoms you are experiencing. Depression doesn’t just affect someone’s mind it can affect a whole person.

  • Emotions; Sadness, anxiety, guilt, lack of emotions or mood swings
  • Thinking; frequent self-criticism, self-blame, indecisiveness, impaired memory, lack of concentration, thoughts of suicide/death
  • Behaviour; Withdraw from family/friends, loss of interest in personal appearance, loss of motivation
  • Physical; unexplained aches, altered sleep pattern, chronic fatigue

Treatment can vary depending on the patient and support network but the two most common are antidepressants or a referral to a therapist. 

Anxiety

Everyone at some point has experienced anxiety it’s that fight or flight feeling that helps us avoid danger, however, when that feeling becomes severe or long-lasting and interferes with day-to-day life, affecting work and relationships it becomes an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety can show in different ways

  • Physical; Palpitations, sweating, shakes, hyperventilation, nausea, pains
  • Psychological; Unrealistic/excessive fear and worry, mind racing, disturbed sleep/insomnia, irritability
  • Behavioural; avoidance of situations, withdrawn, repetitive compulsive behaviour

The most common types of anxiety disorders are;

  • Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD); High levels of anxiety over things that don’t present a threat or danger. Symptoms are persistent and can last months
    • Panic Disorder; Repeated panic attacks. This could cause people to avoid places or situations where attacks have occurred before. Panic attacks are one of the more intense forms of anxiety.
    • Phobias; A strong fear of an object or situation. There are three main types of phobias,
    • Specific – related to a particular object 
    • Agoraphobia– a fear of having a panic attack in a public place or a certain situation.
    • Social– a fear of being scrutinised by other people and the fear of public embarrassment and humiliation. 
    • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD); OCD is characterised by obsessive thoughts which leads to intense anxiety. Obsessions are recurrent unwanted thoughts that a person can’t dispel. The compulsive side is often shown as repetitive behaviours or ‘rituals’, that the person engages to release some of the anxiety.
    • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); PTSD normally develops after experiencing a distressing or traumatic event. Many people who suffer from PTSD can re-experience the events which can cause them to avoid triggering events.

Treatment for anxiety disorders varies depending on what type an individual has and the severity of their symptoms but often it’s treated with medication and different types of therapy including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

CIOB Report

In May 2020 the Chartered Institute of Building completed a report looking into the state of mental health within the industry. They asked 2000 industry professionals a range of questions about their mental health and the support offered to them by their employers.

The nature of the construction industry can cause many mental health problems due to certain unique factors that are seen as cultural norms;

  • Limited-term contracts 
  • Long hours 
  • Lengthy commutes 
  • Time away from family 
  • Pressure to complete work on time and within budget 
  • The ‘macho’ culture that exists within the industry Late payments on work 
  • Uncertainty over the pipeline of work

Construction News did a similar survey to find out how often these factors contributed to their poor health. See the table for these results.

87% of the responders in the COIB survey said these factors had caused them anxiety within the last year leading to further mental health issues including 70% feeling depressed and 91% feeling overwhelmed.

One of the highest responses to mental health issues was stress with 96% having felt this. When asked what caused this feeling 92% said unrealistic deadlines caused stress and 98% said having inadequate/poorly trained staff had caused high-stress levels. 

Something that stood out was 26% of the responders had suicidal thoughts with the majority coming from small businesses or sole traders. Small businesses and sole traders suffer from higher stress, more work uncertainty, and high financial pressures compared to larger companies as they share the workload and stresses among more people. 

The second stage of the survey looked into what support and training are offered to the workers. It was shocking that just under half of the responders (44%) said there was no policy in place within their companies around supporting mental health. Many companies are now starting to implement policies to support mental health but there is a long way to go. Some of the common policies include;

  • Mental Health First Aiders: 35%
  • Helplines: 38% 
  • Awareness week activities: 26% 
  • Scheduled 1-1 meetings: 25% 
  • Flexible working: 38% 
  • Training on mental health and the symptoms: 31% 
  • Additional external support (e.g., Counsellors, Occupational Psychologist): 31%

Spotting the Signs

There are many different signs of someone suffering from mental health. Everyone can respond differently and exhibit different signs. Below are some of the early warning signs to look out for; 

Physical 

  • Frequent headaches/upset stomach 
  • Difficulty sleeping or insomnia 
  • Lack of care over personal appearance 
  • Being run down
  • Sudden weight gain/loss

Emotional and Behavioural 

  • Irritability, aggression, or tearfulness
  • Indecisive/inability to concentrate 
  • Being withdrawn/not participating in social events 
  • Increased arguments or confrontational 
  • Drinking more alcohol/caffeine 
  • Smoking more or taking recreational drugs 
  • Loss of confidence/humour 

Work

  • Increased errors, missing deadlines or forgetting tasks 
  • Taking on too much work or new projects 
  • An employee normally punctual, arriving late 
  • Increased sickness

How To Help

What should you do if you spot any of these signs? MHFA recommend the “Take 10 Together” technique. Take 10 Together is where you take 10 minutes to start a meaningful conversation with a colleague about their mental health. Key points include; 

  1. Choosing a setting; Take it away from work such as a coffee shop. Give yourself the time it may take more than 10 minutes 
  2. Talking Tips; Keep it positive, keep your body language open, be empathetic. 
  3. Useful questions; How are you feeling at the moment? Are there any work-related factors contributing? What can we do to help? 
  4. Listen; Give them your full attention, place yourself in their shoes, don’t judge them and be genuine. Turn off your phone so you are not disturbed.
  5. What’s next; Keep the conversation going and follow up with them, advise them on additional support inhouse such as HR or onsite counselling, refer them to appropriate support such as GP or Charities 

If you feel that they are a danger to themselves or show signs of hurting themselves, call 999 or 111 if less urgent. 

For more information on the Take 10 Technique click here. 

Many charities offer great support such as Mind, Samaritans, and Calm. However, Mates in Mind a mental health charity founded in 2017 focus on supporting the construction industry. They work with employers on addressing the stigma of poor mental health and promote positive mental wellbeing in the industry. The way they do this is by showing them how, when and where they can get support. 

In 2018 CITB announced it was going to train 2,500 mental health first aiders within the industry. Working in partnership with MHFA (mental health First Aid England) they will deliver 13 instructors’ courses to 156 construction workers to improve their skills and get trained. The hope is these instructors will train the further 2,500 onsite staff as a minimum.    

Mates in Mind have recently received a £25,000 funding award from B&CE (Building & Civil Engineering) charitable trust to research mental health struggles experienced by self-employed tradespeople and small businesses in the construction industry. Find out more about this on their website and get involved. 

Further Information

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