Mental Health Issues Within The World of Construction

Today, the importance of mental health has never been more noticed or spoken about. In the past, it was seen as something useless – that people had to just “toughen up” and “get on with it” but, in truth, mental health is far more complex than it was ever given credit for in the past. Today, we understand that mental health is about our ability to contribute to society in a positive manner, able to cope with the “normal stresses of life,” according to the World Health Organization.

In the world of construction, this is a topic that needs more visibility and importance put on it. As many people in the construction industry struggle to make the importance of mental health stand out in the industry, it’s very hard for mental health to be taken seriously in such a tough industry. However, stress levels in construction workers are at extremely high rates. Staying safe in the workplace can become secondary when minds are full of the stresses they cannot speak about at work.

Any workplace that wishes to be a success, especially in construction, needs happy and healthy workers. Workers are likely to suffer from a lack of productivity, inability to keep time, and a lack of any real motivation or desire to see success in the job. While to many bosses this might seem like someone with no aptitude for the role, pulling back the curtain can reveal a much more worrying trend.

The Mental Health Dilemma

Someone does not have to look ill to be ill – it can be inside the head, rather than on the visible exterior, that stress can be causing major problems. Given that one in three men believe it would be “embarrassing” to visit a GP to talk about mental health, it is difficult for men in such a macho industry to step forward and admit to their boss they are having problems.

This has to change, however. Work-related problems can be the source of lifestyle and in-house problems, and vice versa. There has to be a greater understanding that poor life quality and happiness is going to reduce the quality of work done on the day by any member of staff.

In an industry where unhappiness can lead to problems, it becomes too easy for construction stuff to be written off. The fear of losing their job through their depression, the fear of familial problems, long travelling hours, endless hours at work and the high risk of the role can all contribute to the escalating mental health concerns that exist within the construction industry.

Anyone in the construction sector – male or female – has to feel like they can come forward to talk about what they feel is going wrong in their lives. 1 in 4 people suffer poor mental health: it’s not just for drama queens, or for people outside of the industry. Indeed, 9 out of 10 people feel like they suffer some stigma from being depressed – especially in such a tough, uncompromising workplace.

When you know that 40% of employers see those with a past of mental health troubles as a risk, too, it makes sense why so many people don’t’ talk about their problems. Until that changes, though, we need to remove the taboo of individuals who are suffering – regardless of where they work or how it would be perceived.