“Put that man down right now!” said in my sternest momma voice was not something I expected to ever say in my professional career. I had just finished my master’s degree and was recently promoted to project manager. I thought the days of dealing with this sort of behavior were behind me. I was wrong. So here I stood telling one grown man who had lost his temper to literally put another man down immediately. I would go on to unlock plumbers locked in porta-potties, make sure grown men were wearing sunscreen, and keep hotheaded carpenters from throwing tantrums and drills. Very little about construction is glamorous. Although some days are frustrating, most days are full of respectful comradery and there is nothing more amazing than watching a structure be built or rebuilt by a team of skilled craftsmen. Everyone in the industry should be applauded. Construction workers have uncomfortable jobs, jobs that keep our world sheltered. Their work is vital to every other industry. And while there are a lot of things I shouldn’t have to say in my job role, there are plenty of things in this industry that should be said and talked about.
One of these things is that professionals in the construction industry do not always receive the care they deserve and need when it comes to mental health. It’s one of the things in the construction culture that most people aren’t comfortable talking about. In this world, it seems as though a stigma is still strongly attached to this sort of struggle. Few people in this field will seek treatment. Yet, as one recent study demonstrates, psychological distress is 16% higher among commercial construction workers than the general male population and rates of suicide within the construction industry were the second highest among all occupations (Dennerein, et.al., 2021). Another study noted that although construction workers make up only 7.4% of the workforce in the United States, those working in the construction industry made up approximately a fifth of all suicides (Harris et al., 2024). The unique characteristics of the construction industry seem to make our professionals more vulnerable to suicide risk. This isn’t something that we can afford to ignore. It was also noted that construction workers have the highest prevalence of smoking, heavy alcohol use, and illicit drug use of all occupational groups (Dennerlein et. al., 2021).
Having worked in this industry for a while, these statistics are alarming. These are my fathers, brothers, and friends who are struggling, and it seems like their needs often go unnoticed. I truly don’t know what the answer is, but I think employers should be intentional in making their teams feel valued and appreciated. I pray for my team and with my team. When I’m overwhelmed, I trust God to care for the people I work with. Sometimes that is all we can do and, if it’s something we can do to support our folks, we should.
I feel privileged to work in the construction industry. I work with some of the most kind, talented, and loyal individuals in the world. I realize I’m biased but based on my experience, I’m certain there is a study somewhere that can confirm that craftsmen are among the most intelligent and skilled of all professionals. The truth, however, is that if we don’t start having difficult conversations with each other about mental health, this industry and all others as a result, will be threatened.
So, in addition to talking trash at jobsites, let’s also talk about mental health and what it means to the future of our business.
~Anonymous
This article was written anonymously by a customer of ours who is pursuing their doctorate in mental health in the construction industry. All the while pursuing this degree, and managing ongoing projects, careful time was taken to write on this incredibly important topic. For the sake of protecting the identity of the people involved, we found it best to keep names out of the story, and focus on the bigger picture: Statistics aren’t favorable when it comes to the serenity of construction workers. In an industry where more workers are dying by suicide than by safety incidents, this is an urgent matter. Thank you, for sharing your heart, and we at Dump-It are pushing with you for big moves in the construction industry to change the game for not only a physically healthy workforce, but an emotionally and mentally healthy one too.
If you are in construction and struggling with thoughts of depression or suicide, please call the suicide hotline immediately.
If you would like to network more about creating a culture of care in your construction firm, please email derek@getdumpit.com! We want to help you brainstorm how you can make a difference.
References
Dennerlein, J.T., Eyllon, M., Gaverich, S., Weinstein, D., Manjourides, J., Vallas, S.P., & Lincoln, A.K. (2021). Associations between work-related factors and psychological distress among construction workers. JOEM 63(12).
Harris, W., Trueblood, A.B., Yohannes, T., Rodman, C.P., & Rinehart, R. (2024). Suicide among construction workers in the United States, 2021. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.23632
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