The 2025 Industry Report Card

Mental Health & Suicide Prevention in Construction: Signs of Hope

By Tracy Bennett, Managing Editor of Connector and President of Mighty Mo Media Partners, a public relations firm serving construction, industrial, and related markets.

Five years ago, mental health and suicide prevention in the U.S. construction industry was barely a side note in safety meetings. Today, it’s on the agenda at major industry conferences, it’s baked into toolkits from industry organizations, and more contractors are hanging 988 crisis line posters next to their safety rules.

We’ve seen meaningful progress in awareness and training, and for the first time in years, overall suicide rates among construction workers declined in 2023. But the picture is far from rosy. Suicide remains one of the leading causes of death in our industry, and a new red flag has emerged. At-work suicides are on the rise, climbing more than 70% between 2022 and 2023.

Safety managers know they have a responsibility to their people and in some cases, these are the people who are struggling in silence. This report card is meant to give you some direction on what to focus on in the future by identifying what’s improving, what isn’t, what trends you need to watch, and which programs are proving to be successful in saving lives.

Overall Suicide Rates – Cautious Improvement

The good news: According to CPWR’s April 2025 Data Bulletin, suicides among construction workers (age 16–64, “usual industry”) fell from 2022 to 2023. This is the first sustained decline in several years, and it’s likely a result of more industry-wide campaigns, improved training, and broader mental health awareness.

The not-so-good news: The rate is still among the highest of any U.S. industry, and the drop, while encouraging, doesn’t mean we’re out of the woods.

At-Work Suicides – Worsening Risk

Here’s the part that should set off alarms in every jobsite trailer. At-work suicides rose from 22 in 2022 to 38 in 2023, a 72.7% increase. While the total numbers are smaller than “overall” suicides (which count workers regardless of where the incident happens), the trend suggests that acute crises are still happening on the job.

That means prevention isn’t just about general awareness, it’s about equipping foremen, supervisors, and crew members with the skills and confidence to spot warning signs and act in real time.

Overdose Deaths – Declining, but Intertwined with Suicide

Overdose deaths among construction workers also fell in 2023, particularly those involving synthetic opioids like fentanyl. This could be attributed to opi- oid antagonist meds, like Naloxone, becoming more readily available. That’s progress, but the link between substance use and suicide is still strong. Many fatal- ities aren’t clearly one or the other. They are part of a web of pain, injury, mental distress, and isolation. Contractors who treat “overdose prevention” and “suicide prevention” as separate issues, risk missing the bigger picture.

Industry Awareness – From Silence to Conversation

Five years ago, it was rare to hear “mental health” discussed outside of a crisis. Today, Construction Suicide Prevention Week is anannual, coordinated event, with free toolkits, toolbox talks, and posters. CIASP, CPWR, OSHA, and NIOSH have developed targeted safety talks and fact sheets to address opioids and suicide together. The gap? Not every company participates. And among those that do, there is still much work to be done to achieve a sustained culture change.

Training & Intervention – Promising, But Patchy

Programs like MATES in Construction (adapted from Australia) and short-format gatekeeper trainings designed specifically for construction are showing measurable improvements in suicide prevention literacy and willingness to help. However, access is inconsistent. Large contractors with strong safety departments are more likely to use them, while small and mid-sized contractors often don’t have the bandwidth or budget to roll out formal training.

Addressing Root Causes – Still the Weak Link

Job insecurity, long hours, injury-related chronic pain, and hostile jobsite culture continue to be major drivers of mental distress and suicidal ideation. Research from Sweden, Ireland, and the U.S. shows that these factors haven’t improved much, even as awareness grows. Until contractors address these underlying psychosocial risks, progress will be limited.

The Bottom Line for Business Owners

The last five years have seen important gains in awareness and some encouraging declines in overall suicide and overdose deaths among construction workers. But the steep rise in at-work suicides is a warning we can’t ignore.

As a business owner or safety manager, you are in a unique position to shape the culture, systems, and training that determine whether your crews feel safe speaking up, as well as whether someone in crisis gets help in time.

This isn’t just a compliance issue. It’s a human and business imperative. Strong mental health and suicide prevention strategies reduce turnover, improve productivity, and save lives.

Making a Difference

Companies leading efforts in awareness, education, and intervention are setting the standard for what safety means in the construction industry in the years ahead. Here are a few strategies to consider putting in place on your jobsites in 2026.

1. Track Your Own Trends. Don’t wait for national data. Look at your company’s incident reports, EAP usage, and worker’s

comp claims to spot early warning signs.

2. Embed Mental Health Into Safety Systems. Treat mental health like fall protection, something that is required, measurable, and reinforced daily. Incorporate it into orientations, safety meetings, and leadership training.

3. Integrate Overdose & Suicide Prevention. Combine Naloxone training, overdose awareness, and suicide prevention into a single approach.

4. Train Key People on Every Crew. Make sure every site has at least one trained “connector” or gatekeeper who is equipped to listen, spot trouble, and connect workers with help before a crisis escalates.

5. Link to Community Resources. Partner with local crisis centers or mental health providers to create clear, fast referral pathways.

6. Find Technology-Supported Interventions. Find a training program that pairs face-to-face workshops with mobile apps. This follow-up model has proven effective in recent Australian trials.

7. Address Psychosocial Risks. Look at scheduling, workload, and safety climate. Reducing chronic pain and stress isn’t just good for morale, it’s suicide prevention.

Resources

Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention (CIASP)

Offers free industry-specific resources, from leadership pledge templates to foreman scripts. Their “Stand Up for Suicide Prevention” materials make it easier to build a consistent message across job sites. Note that SEAA took the pledge to STAND Up for suicide prevention and is an association stakeholder of the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention.

CPWR & OSHA Joint Toolkits

Updated regularly, these include toolbox talks, posters, and fact sheets in English and Spanish. They integrate suicide and overdose prevention with broader safety messages, reinforcing that mental health is part of jobsite safety—not separate from it.

Gatekeeper Training for Construction

Short, site-friendly courses teach crew members how to ask direct questions, listen without judgment, and connect someone in crisis to help. Post-training evaluations show improved knowledge and confidence among participants.

MATES in Construction (Australia ➔ U.S. Adaptations)

A peer-based model that trains workers to recognize distress, connect co-workers to help, and reduce stigma. The program’s mix of on-site sessions and mobile follow-up has been shown to increase help-seeking intentions and suicide prevention literacy.