Those of us involved in supporting the mental health well-being of our community, are well aware that we are in the midst of a mental health pandemic, by no means exclusive of the covid pandemic.

However, we are also aware that the construction sector is heavily impacted by a diminished level of mental health well-being among its workforce.

Finger pointing is always a cop out!

Ridicule is for the immature!

The Construction Sector is without doubt working overtime to deliver solutions alongside best practice in order to drive the enhancement of mental health well-being in their workplaces.

However, sometimes the mantra of the Corporate ‘slogan department’ can distract us from what set us out on the path to rectification in the first place.

For those of us that need a reminder I share the following ‘Paper’ by Laura-Jayne Burke MCIOB, as part of her ‘Sustainability Scholarship’ alongside Laing O’Rourke, in turn supported by The Chartered Institute of Building, The Worshipful Company of Constructors and University College of Estate Management:

‘Workplace Mental Health in the UK Construction Industry’

‘Mental health has been defined by several sources with varying definitions.

The Oxford dictionary:

‘a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being’

The World Health Organisation:

‘a state of well-being in which the individual realizes their own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to their community

It is important to understand that mental health, much like physical health, can be both good or poor; being measured through emotional, behavioural, and social maturity.

It is also fundamental to our collective and individual ability as humans to think, interact with each other, pursue a career and enjoy leisure time.

In recent years, researchers have identified an increase in mental health issues, with approximately one in four of the adult population experiencing a mental health problem each year.

A recent survey showed that in England less than 40% of adults with mental health conditions, such as anxiety or depression, were accessing mental health treatment.

It is suggested that those experiencing these often choose not to disclose them due to the perceived stigma and fear of repercussions; this impacts the level of support they are able to access.

Poor mental health can affect not only an individual’s life, but their friends and family around them too.

They may experience lack of sleep, low confidence, difficultly concentrating and panic attacks.

They might also find themselves less able to cope with the pressures of daily life including work demands, social situations, relationships and financial concerns.

The culmination of these pressures may lead to withdrawals from their support networks when needed most, with the ultimate cost being the cost of human life through suicide.

With this growing awareness the UK Government took action by commissioning an independent review into how employers can better support the wellbeing of employees at work, resulting in the following report:

‘Thriving at Work: a review of mental health and employers’ (by Lord Dennis Stevenson and Paul Farmer).

‘Thriving at Work’ highlights that the scale of poor mental health is significant, but that it is manageable and even preventable.

In the context of the work environment, mental health can be related to the work itself or personal circumstances which are experienced at work.

Their review specifically highlighted the construction industry as one of the worst industries.

It was suggested that this is due to specific industry characteristics such as long working hours, job insecurity and a ‘macho’ culture.

This finding has been backed by other research and independent studies, including a recent study by the Office for National Statistics, which found the risk of suicide among low-skilled male labourers, particularly those working in construction roles, was 3 times higher than the male national average.

For males working in skilled trades, the highest risk was among building finishing trades; particularly, plasterers, painters, and decorators who had more than double the risk of suicide than the male national average.

The ‘Thriving at Work’ review proposed a set of ‘mental health core standards’ for organisations to look to adopt, also recommending that industry groups, which provide support and accreditation to professionals, provide further assistance and guidance to those they work with to implement these core standards and to include workplace mental health information in their training.’

https://constructorscompany.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Mental-Health-In-Construction-May-2019.pdf

My Foundation, The Glass Half Full Community (GHFC) is passionate about the mental health well-being of everyone, with a focus on supporting the Construction sector throughout 2022.

There are so many individuals and organisations, including ‘Mates In Construction’, ‘Advocacy for Construction’, ‘Mental Health First Aid Australia’, ‘R U OK?’’,  ‘HALT’ (Hope Assistance Local Tradies),  ‘Incolink’,  ‘TIACS’, ‘Bully Zero’, ‘The Healthy Tradie Project’, who are also committed to this resolution, that I am convinced through a combination of collaboration and transparency, huge advances can be made throughout 2022!

Remember, if you or anyone you know needs help, please call:

Mates in Construction 1300 642 111

Lifeline 13 11 14