More than 50 percent of construction workers say they have struggled with their mental health, according to software provider Causeway Technologies.
The survey was conducted by Causeway’s mental health ambassador, former England footballer Trevor Steven. Steven spoke to over 1,400 workers over 18 months on construction sites across the country.
Of the construction workers interviewed, 56% reported that they currently suffer or have suffered from a mental health problem.
The main problems reported were anxiety (40%), depression (37%), fatigue (28%), lack of self-confidence (25%) and feeling overwhelmed (25%).
More than one in ten (12%) of respondents said they were experiencing or had experienced suicidal thoughts.
Steven said: “These figures are frankly shocking and really highlight the need for intervention.”
The most important factors cited as contributing to poor mental health were long and irregular working hours (59%), financial pressures (50%), lack of job security (45%), tight deadlines (43 %) and the culture of the place. (41%).
The vast majority, 80%, thought that companies have a responsibility to support the mental health of workers. Despite this, 35% said their workplaces were not doing enough to protect employee wellbeing.
One respondent said, “In 10 years of working in construction, I’ve never experienced a place that seems to really care about your mental well-being.”
The release of the survey results coincided with the launch of Causeway’s lobbying campaign calling for mental health provision to be included in construction contracts. The company is also calling on companies to commit to supporting better mental health in the workplace.
Causeway chief executive Phil Brown said: “Mental health is the real health and safety crisis in the construction industry today.
“The industry’s mental health crisis still shows little sign of abating, so we cannot afford to stop moving forward on this issue.”
