The Power of Storytelling in Mental Health Awareness

By Christian Santiago, Safety Director at Evolution Safety Resources with over 10 years of safety experience. As a former crane operator and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, he brings practical knowledge and a disciplined approach to safety training and management.

When combined with classroom or on-the-job training, storytelling can be a powerful tool for ensuring that workers both retain information and understand the real-world implications. Storytelling allows for a deeper connection than citing facts and statistics. It conveys a different message. It’s not that something could happen— it’s that something did happen to you or someone you know. Storytelling helps to put a human face to statistics which may otherwise seem impersonal or remote from the everyday lives of workers. When it comes to storytelling in training, there are few areas where it is more impactful than in suicide prevention.

Traditionally, the culture of the construction industry is one that discourages workers from talking about—or even admitting to themselves—mental health struggles. Storytelling can help to normalize those discussions and show those who are suffering in silence that they are not alone.

One reason storytelling is successful is because it is authentic. Authenticity builds trust and makes people more receptive and more likely to open up about their own experiences. Workers can spot canned messages a mile away, but when we speak from real world experiences, it comes across as genuine care and concern, not just compliance or obligation.

The key to preventing suicides is breaking the taboo that so often surrounds the topics of mental health and suicide. Hearing a peer’s story (especially someone who is respected in the trade) shows vulnerability and helps open doors for others to talk. When one person steps forward and shares their story, it creates space for others to do the same.

Storytelling is a great tool for making training memorable and impactful, but, just as importantly, it can be a way to show others that they are not alone.