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This month GP Alice Fitzgibbon continues the conversation about suicide
Professional Builder is committed to promoting openness about mental health and providing information to support its readers. Last month’s column looked at the importance of being aware of others and not being afraid of checking in to ask if they are doing ok or if they might need some help.
Maybe that column pushed someone to reach out to a friend or family member they had been worried about. Maybe in the future one person will remember something that was written in one of these articles and use it to help themselves or someone else. Sometimes you read something, or skip over it, as it doesn’t apply to you. The next time you read it, you might be in a completely different situation. All it takes sometimes is one person, doing one thing, to make a difference to a life.
We are still talking about suicide because it’s an issue that won’t go away. Let’s take a moment to look at some statistics which highlight the scale of this problem. In the UK, the most recent data from 2023 shows that there were 7,055 deaths by suicide (that’s an average of 19 people per day). Men are three times as likely to die from suicide than women. Data from the Office of National Statistics shows that workers in the construction industry (skilled trades occupations) are nearly four times more likely to die by suicide than the national average. Every working day in the UK, two construction workers take their own life.
Construction can be a very rewarding industry to work in. However, it also has certain factors which contribute to poor mental health and lower overall wellness. These factors are known to be detrimental to the mental health of workers:
• Working long hours with poor work/life balance
• Lengthy commutes
• Working away from family
• Limited term contracts
• Uncertainty of next job
• Pressure to complete work on time and within budget
• Late payments causing financial problems
• The persistence of ‘macho’ culture and perceived stigma of mental health issues
Looking at this list it can be quite easy to see how these issues may pile up and cause significant levels of stress. If it is happening to you, you can be sure you are not alone in feeling the effects of these pressures. They are very valid. Recognising the impact of these factors on your mental health and acknowledging there may be an issue with how you are coping with them is a really important step. But engaging with help can be hard.
Construction is a male dominated industry. Suicide is a male dominated issue. It is proven that seeking mental health support prevents deaths due to suicide. But engaging with help can be hard. It can be hard for men and for women, but we recognise that particularly men are affected by society, and the industry’s, expectations and traditional gender roles which may lead them to be less likely to seek support in fear of judgement.
Twice I have written “engaging with help can be hard”. Initially I wrote “seeking help” but I realised that progress has meant we don’t need to look as far for help as we used to. It is the act of engaging that presents the challenge, facing the reality of feelings and putting our vulnerabilities out there. Sharing the problem can really help whether that be with family and friends or professionals from mental health charities or your GP.
The Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity is an excellent resource specifically for the construction industry. It can offer emotional, physical and financial wellbeing support and do fantastic work with outreach to work sites via the MakeItVisible campaign to promote wellbeing support. They have a free, confidential 24/7 helpline available on 0345 605 1956 (UK), live web chats available online, or text contact if you text HARDHAT to 85258 (UK) for those who feel uncomfortable or may struggle to find a place or time to call on the phone. There is also a self-support app available to download which covers lots of issues on mental, physical and financial wellbeing and is well worth a look.
If anything in this article relates to you, then please seek some support. It can make a big difference. There is always someone to listen. Crisis support from the Samaritans is available 24/7 for 365 days a year: call 116 123. Contact Us | Samaritans.
