Let’s Destigmatize Mental Health

The construction industry continues to prioritize physical safety through personal protective equipment, fall protection equipment, safety procedures and more. Important though physical safety is, mental safety must be just as prominent on a company’s priority list.

The state of mental health in the United States continues to decline. An estimated 26% of Americans have a diagnosable mental health disorder in a given year, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. In June 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated 40% of U.S. adults reported struggling with mental health or substance abuse. About 47,500 people die each year by suicide.

The picture of the construction industry is even bleaker. An estimated 83% of construction workers experienced a mental health issue in 2020—more than twice the national average. The industry has one of the highest rates of suicide at 53.3 per 100,000 U.S. workers—four times greater than the national average and five times greater than all other construction fatalities combined.

Substance abuse also contributes to the mental health crisis in the population at large and in construction in particular. American Addiction Centers estimates 15% of construction workers have a substance use disorder compared to 8.6% of the general population. Opioid use is especially disproportionate; 1.3% of construction workers have an opioid use disorder—nearly twice the national average, according to the National Safety Council. The physical nature of construction and higher likelihood for musculoskeletal injury often serves as a catalyst for substance use, opioids in particular.

And it’s a vicious cycle. Substance abuse can lead to sloppier job performance, which increases the risk of injuries, which can lead to substance abuse. Substance abuse is also linked to higher suicide rates. Further, construction is a male-dominated industry. Societal norms and expectations of masculinity often lead males to underreport mental health concerns; they are therefore undertreated. 

Once considered a taboo topic to discuss, the time to talk about and destigmatize mental health awareness is now. The industry must continue to have conversations about this topic. 
Be sure to check out the Main Stage session, Tues., Oct. 1, at this year’s GlassBuild America about Building a Recovery-Safe Culture, which will arm participants with tools to promote and implement a recovery-safe workplace.