Nearly two-thirds of construction workers have experienced anxiety or depression in the past 12 months (64 percent compared to 54 percent in 2024), according to a mental health survey by St. Louis-based contractor Clayco. Louis. Reporting or talking about these struggles remains a challenge for workers who fear being treated differently at work, he also notes.
For the second year in a row, Clayco, using a third-party research group, surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. construction workers about mental health issues and, for the first time, also surveyed more than 1,000 executives and managers in the construction industry, with 48% indicating they had also experienced anxiety or depression in the past year.
Clayco is collecting data on mental health challenges because “these are challenges that tend to permeate our industry,” said Dan Lester, Clayco’s vice president of field culture and inclusion.
For every 100,000 male construction workers, 56 committed suicide in 2022according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Construction workers are seven times more likely to die from an opioid overdose than workers in other industries, he adds. Darcy Gruttadaro, Chief Innovation Officer of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), which has partnered with Clayco to find ways to address mental health struggles in construction.
The survey showed that reporting mental health issues remains a challenge with almost half (45%) of construction workers saying they would feel embarrassed to discuss their mental health, addiction or suicidal thoughts with co-workers, up 6% from 2024.
It also revealed that 37% of construction workers say they have been discriminated against at work when they have spoken about their mental health issues, while a significant number of executives admit that workers are likely to be treated differently for seeking mental health services. Twenty-one percent of executives said workers would be less likely to be assigned important tasks if they reported a mental health problem, while 30 percent said those workers would be monitored more closely.
More than a quarter (28%) of Construction workers report experiencing substance use disorders or problems with other forms of addictive behavior in the past 12 months, which is one percentage point lower than in 2024. (29%).
More than one in three (34%) of construction executives admit to having had a substance use disorder or experienced problems with other forms of addictive behavior in the past 12 months.
Almost six in ten (58%) of construction workers admit they have misused or overused at least one substance to cope with their mental health in the past 12 months, which is 11% higher than reported in 2024.
Construction workers cited the physical demands of the job (47% in 2025, compared to 42% in 2024), poor work-life balance (42% in 2025, 36% in 2024) and tight timelines to complete projects (41% in 2025, 35% in 2024) as the top causes of distress.
More than a third (36%) of Construction workers said they have lost work due to mental health problems in the past 12 months, up 4% from 2024.
Clayco’s partnership with NAMI aims to combat the stigma surrounding mental health in the industry, increase access to treatment and educate workers, managers and executives. Clayco provides data from its studies, while NAMI provides expertise in mental illness, treatment options, and community resources.
Silence shouldn’t be an option when dealing with mental health challenges, says Gruttadaro.
“Asking someone if they might be at risk of self-harm is absolutely the right thing to do,” he said. “What really saves lies is peer support.”
To stem the loss of life from suicide or addiction, he says leadership must make mental health a visible priority.
“Even if you have to start small, keep chipping away and you’ll see incredible ROI,” he said. “It’s not just nice to have, it’s a business imperative.”
