Mental health in construction
Sarah Baldry, Vice President of People, Wysa
THE construction sector has some of the worst rates of mental health than any other sector in the UK, with men in the industry three times more likely to die from suicide than the average male, yet 72% of firms in the sector admitted to having no dedicated policy for providing mental health support.
Understanding Mental Health in the Built Environment, a study from Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), found 87% of construction workers experience anxiety, 70% experience depression, 26% have suicidal thoughts and a huge 95% regularly experience poor concentration.
Poor mental health in the construction industry is an accident waiting to happen. Yet we see time and time again that employers are ill equipped to support employee mental health.
This might be due to a lack of training and awareness amongst senior leaders, but also an element of wondering if it’s their responsibility to deal with the problem, or whether they open themselves up to liability by acknowledging it.
The construction sector has some of the worst rates of mental health than any other sector in the UK. Currently, there is no obligation to record suicides, or mental health risks, as a workplace incident. Yet we know that there are numerous workplace stressors that carry mental health risks.
The construction industry faces unique challenges that contribute to widespread poor mental health and wellness among its workforce.
These challenges encompass various aspects such as the prevalence of limited-term contracts, extensive working hours, long commutes, significant time spent away from family, and the pressure to complete projects both on time and within budget.
Financial uncertainties, including late payments for work and unpredictability concerning the pipeline of future projects, further compound the challenges workers face. Construction News’ Mind Matters 2019 survey found that three out of four workers said long hours made the biggest difference to their wellbeing.
Understanding Mental Health in the Built Environment, a study from Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), found 87% of construction workers experience anxiety, 70% experience depression, 26% have suicidal thoughts and a huge 95% regularly experience poor concentration. It doesn’t make for a happy workforce. And workplace bullying and exposure to trauma, such as suicides and accidents that cause colleagues to lose fingers and limbs, can trigger severe emotional responses. Work, especially in the construction industry, carries huge mental health risks.
Of course there’s risk to the employee.
They may start to suffer from depression or anxiety. They may find themselves struggling to motivate themselves. And it may reach a crisis point.
In 2021, 507 construction workers took their own lives, equivalent to two workers every day. The inability to identify, track and manage the risk of work-related suicide represents a significant and persistent hazard to employee health and safety.
It’s not just risk to employees. Unaddressed mental health needs could lead to suicidal ideation and risk of selfharm, which will affects colleagues and staff.
Tiredness, lack of focus and mental struggles cause mistakes to happen, which can lead to injury either for the worker involved, but also later down the line when a customer utilises your building, street, or infrastructure.
Accident rates, quality of build, risk of mistakes and the direct cost of deaths make this very much an employer issue. When the company is liable for a human accident it’s not only costly – it’s an insurance and brand perception disaster.
In 2021, 507 construction workers took their own lives, equivalent to two workers every day. Unaddressed depression and anxiety costs an average £455 per employee in absenteeism, lost productivity and staff turnover annually. That’s a cost of over £4.5m every year for an employer with 10,000 people.
The construction industry employs upwards of 1.4 million people, excluding self-employed subcontractors, equating to an aggregated cost of £637bn to the sector. On top of this, accidents are costing the industry and its people upwards of £16.2bn per year.
But these challenges and risks can be mitigated by taking proactive responsibility and addressing mental health directly. Supporting people effectively first requires acknowledgement and engagement. Care must be taken to avoid putting managers in a challenging position, burdened with identifying individuals at risk and knowing what to do about it.
There are traditional and more typical approaches such as training for managers to spot people in crisis, and awareness and advocacy initiatives to create cultural change to encourage people to reach out if they need help.
Many employee assistance programmes then offer access to qualified human support for those struggling with symptoms. But these rely on individuals to speak up and speak out, which we know can be hard. A report into employee mental health, All Worked Up showed that one in three employees who need help have not spoken to a healthcare professional, with more than half citing embarrassment as a reason. The existing types of support leave gaps – gaps that if someone falls through them pose a huge risk.
Unaddressed depression and anxiety costs an average £455 per employee in absenteeism, lost productivity and staff turnover annually.The ideal approach to managing employee mental health in the construction industry comes in two parts. One that leverages advances in digital health technology, and places it in the context of an industry where stigma prevails, time is short, and stressors are significant. And one that does not shift the responsibility from employer to employee, but takes a whole sector, organisation, and even societal approach, recognising mental health is everyone’s business.
Adding a clinically effective digital support channel helps mitigate the stigma, as an anonymous, always available and risk-controlled way to provide support in moments of struggle or crisis. We asked workers who they’d rather go to about their mental health.
Most employees chose a mental health app with personalised, clinically proven self-help resources over anyone in the workplace, and even their GP. An astonishing 81% said that they would prefer to engage with the AI app than speak to HR. Research shows that people open to Wysa’s AI three times faster than a human therapist.
AI is able to intelligently empathise with the user and direct them to the right resources at the right time, so they are never left without support. This approach takes away the need for someone to understand that it’s time to get professional help. Risk mitigation can include AI detected trigger words, clinical screenings and daily mood scores built in.
Last year, British health insurer Vitality partnered with Wysa to address the mental health of 60,000 members. Users took standardised clinical assessments at onboarding which were repeated 28 days later, demonstrating statistically and clinically significant improvements across all severities.
Those suffering with moderate anxiety symptoms saw a 31% decrease in symptoms, while those suffering with severe anxiety symptoms saw a 38% reduction. Moderate depression sufferers saw a 40% reduction, and those with severe depression saw a 35% reduction in symptoms.
In the construction industry’s relentless pursuit of excellence, addressing mental health isn’t just a moral imperative – it’s a strategic necessity. The statistics are stark reminders of the urgent need for change. By integrating cutting-edge digital health technology like Wysa’s AI alongside a comprehensive organisational and societal commitment, we can reshape the narrative. This dual approach not only mitigates risks but also fosters a culture of wellbeing.
The cost of inaction is clear, both in human suffering and economic consequences. It’s time for the construction industry to step up, embrace innovation, and prioritise mental health as a fundamental component of its success.
Sarah Baldry, Vice President of People, Wysa