BUILDING A MENTAL HEALTHY CULTURE INSIGHTS FROM THE 2021 MENTAL HEALTH IN CONSTRUCTION SURVEY
BY CAL BEYER VICE PRESIDENT; WORKFORCE RISK & WORKER WELLBEING CSDZ HOLMES MURPHY COMPANY
In today’s rapidly changing economy, mental health is top of mind for business leaders from various companies in all industries. This includes construction companies. It has not always been that way. Historically, mental health was a taboo topic in the workplace and even more so on jobsites. Mental health is a personal issue, a family matter, a community concern, and a societal challenge. Why has it not been a workplace issue? Stigma is a major barrier that kept people from acknowledging that they were not okay. Seeking help was seen as a sign of weakness rather than as a sign of strength. Stigma remains a barrier that keeps people from either offering or seeking help. Stigma is a fear of the unknown combined with a fear of judgment from others or fear of consequences -- both real and perceived.
Rising Pressures in Construction Stress, anxiety, supply chain disruptions and delays, rising costs and financial pressures, are inducing pressures across all sectors of construction. The regular pressures of construction are immense, including demanding work conditions with long hours, frequent overtime, pressing deadlines, long commutes and travel which separates workers from families and other supports. These pressures spill over and 36
affect the workforce and workplace, including jobsite productivity quality, risk, safety, and ultimately project and company profitability.
Rising Risks in Iowa According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP.org), in January 2020, Iowa was ranked 21st in the rate of suicide with a rate 19.8% higher than the national average. More troubling news was recently released by the State of Iowa Office of Drug Policy showing rising rates of alcohol-related and overdose deaths in Iowa. Specifically, alcohol-related deaths in Iowa rose 26% from the previous year, while opioid-related overdose deaths in Iowa increased 35%. These data points are similar to national trends. Rural areas are hit harder than urban areas. Importantly, while there is no data specific to industry or occupation, this is where the construction industry was before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the first data on suicide by industry in 2016 (and again in 2018) and by occupation/trade in 2020. The dynamics are the same, which means the risk factors are the same, which means industry leaders need to rally together and address these challenges head-on like has been done for suicide prevention. InsideMBI
