Construction sites are full of dangers that can quickly become deadly if someone on the job is suffering from a mental health problem and not getting help. Even as more awareness is raised and information about resources is made available, the industry continues to strive to combat the issue.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 53.3 construction workers out of every 100,000 fall to suicide each year, nearly five times the overall national rate.
Despite those numbers, mental health, suicide, and substance abuse continue to be taboo topics among construction workers, supervisors, and owners.
Associated General Contractors of America
For 2024, Kime said, the task force is focusing on getting back to the basics and looking more at the contributing factors or those leading indicators that move someone from I'm having a bad day time to I’m having the worst day of my life in a very dark place. The idea is to continue helping stop the growing numbers within the construction industry in terms of mental health and suicide.
Acknowledging the importance of raising awareness of the issue and ensuring people are aware of resources such as 988, she said the goal is to now turn the focus on catching people before they reach a crisis and help them build resilience and coping strategies.
For the group’s first quarterly forum in 2024, the general topic was communication. The featured speaker was Matt Granados, co-founder of Life Pulse Inc., a company devoted to enhancing productivity, intentionality, and motivation to help individuals and their companies grow.
