Mental health in construction: what you need to know

Mental health in the construction industry

Like many other places, mental health in construction is a topic that is commonly overlooked.

Anyone can be affected with a range of mental health issues at any time. They can also be made worse by external triggering factors. Which is why it is good to know how mental health should be a priority for those in the construction industry.

Many are aware of the common construction hazards when it comes to physical health. And likewise you’ll probably also be familiar with safety measures such as wearing the correct construction site PPE to help protect workers.

But what about construction and mental health? While the physically demanding nature of the industry is acknowledged, many fail to realise that workers can impacted mentally by external stress.

Why do people suffer with their mental health?

Anybody can struggle with their mental health. Just as physical health can change at any time, so too can someone’s mental state. Particularly if there are are negative external factors.

As a construction worker, there are potential pressures that you may be exposed to which could impact your mental well-being.

These include, but are not limited to:

• Contracts which demand tight turnarounds – Working to tight deadlines may lead to high stress and anxiety
• Time spent away from family and friends – People in construction may have to work long hours away from family or support
• Stress from managing budgets – Financial pressures may mount too due to working with strict budgets
• Job insecurity – People in construction tend to work on a project-to-project basis, which can cause anxiety regarding financial stability
• High-risk jobs – These can induce fear of potential injuries (such as 91% of construction workers have felt overwhelmed at some point)*

There’s also the added factor that the construction industry is still a male-dominated sphere. Due to the stigma surrounding men’s mental health, many feel unable to speak up about their struggles.

This bottling up of emotion contributes to escalating anxiety levels, and feelings of isolation, as well as worsening stress and depression.

What signs should I look out for as an employer?

If you’re an employer in the construction industry, here are some signs you may notice if an employee is struggling:

• Withdrawal – Individuals may pull back, for instance, closing themselves off from colleagues
• Personality changes – People may become angry or easily irritated, and may also appear tired, anxious, or moody
• Changes in their standard of work – An employee’s standard of work may start to slip if they are mentally struggling
• Increases in work absences – An individual may show up late to work, or not come in at all, and may be increasingly absent

Remember though, signs differ from person to person, and poor mental health manifests differently in everyone.

Sometimes the signs are subtle or unnoticeable. So, it’s important to always instigate open and honest workplace conversations to check in with your employees.

The sooner you become aware of any issues, the sooner they can be addressed.

What changes can be made?

So, if you’re a business owner in the construction industry, it’s important you know how to support your employees.

Studies show that over half of professionals in the industry work for organisations which have lacklustre mental health policies. So, implementing these should be an employer’s first port of call.

• Employers have a duty of care to their employees
• They should support their staff well-being all around
• This includes both making the physical environment safe and also making sure mental health support is available
• Employers should consider investing both time and money into mental health training
• Internal support means that staff at all levels have adequate knowledge
• Workers should equally be made aware of welfare facilities on construction sites
• Business owners can also consider investing in employer health benefits packages which offer mental health support

Simply knowing the support is there, should construction workers ever need it, can hugely benefit an employee’s mental health.

Equally, it’s important you’re aware of where you can refer employees to for further help. For instance:

• General practitioners (GPs)
• Pharmacists
• Local mental health support networks

When people are suffering from a range of mental health conditions, different help is needed. As an employer, you can direct people towards trained professionals who can treat specific conditions.

What are the rules for employers?

The Equality Act (2010) states that employers must make reasonable adjustments for those with disabilities and different needs. This is to ensure people are not disadvantaged in the workplace in any way.

The Equality Act helps prevent mental health discrimination, and therefore create supportive, inclusive, work environments.

The guidelines protect those with longer term mental health conditions such as

• Bipolar disorder
• Generalised anxiety disorder
• Schizophrenia
• Dementia

Along with a range of other conditions that may happen on a short or long term basis.

Why is change so important?

An estimated 1/7 people in the UK are neurodivergent.** That means more people have differences to the way their brains work. Chances are you may already have a neurodivergent employee and not even know.

So, it’s important you’re aware of how to properly support workers with conditions such as:

• ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
• Autism (autistic spectrum disorder)
• Dyslexia

The industry is full of people whose brains work in different ways. And neurodivergent employees should be given the support they need to thrive. This can include things such as policy changes and required adjustments.

Finally, you should aim to speak openly about mental health with colleagues to ensure a supportive, positive working environment. Why not check out Mike’s story? In it he discusses his recent ADHD diagnosis and highlights the positives of neurodivergence in the construction industry.

The benefits for site safety

Aside from ensuring individual employee well-being, mental health support may also have more of an industry-wide impact.

Issues such as stress, anxiety, and withdrawal can compromise construction site safety. This is due to factors such as reduced focus. So, neglecting mental health as an employer can have serious consequences.

Proper mental health support may therefore lead to a happy, healthy, more productive workforce.

Getting to grips with personal coping methods

As an employer or employee, there are some steps that can be taken to help your own mental well-being.

• Talk – Opening up about your struggles is the first step towards helping your mental health
• Time management – Juggling various responsibilities can lead to high-stress levels, so effective time management is key
• Prioritise self-care – Getting enough sleep, exercise, and nourishing your body is particularly important if you’re working long, physically demanding days
• Understand your own boundaries – Recognise and stick to your own boundaries, which can help you avoid the added pressures of taking on too much

These techniques are great for reducing the impact of stress in the short term.

Yet it’s important to bear in mind that there are various mental health conditions, all of which require the correct treatment or support. And as mentioned, professional help is sometimes required.

If you’re in the industry, especially as a trade business owner, you’ll need to establish a good work-life balance

Building a stronger workplace

Hopefully, you’re now aware of how to support yourself and others when working in the construction industry.

Hopefully, you now feel equipped with the necessary knowledge about construction and mental health.

If you’re just starting out as a tradesperson, and want to do it right, then knowing about mental health and first aid requirements is particularly important.

When you’re looking at how to grow your construction business, you should make mental health a top priority, whether as a sole trader or a business owner.

Mental health in construction is a subject not often discussed. When that conversation is opened, tradespeople can thrive and get the right support. Exactly when they need it.

* Statistics quoted from Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England – Article “Building for better mental health in the construction industry”
* Statistics quoted from The University of Edinburgh – Article “Support for neurodiversity”