Construction industry ‘must address root causes’ of worker mental health issues: CPWR

Silver Spring, MD — Nearly 1 out of 5 construction workers report having anxiety or depression, and the overwhelming majority of them haven’t sought expert help, a new report shows.

According to the CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training report:

• In 2021, 15.4% of construction workers said they had anxiety or depression, based on medication or symptoms.
• Among them, 84.3% didn’t seek help from a mental health professional in the previous 12 months.

Mental health, the report notes, has played a role in the construction industry having the highest death rate and second highest suicide rate among all U.S. industries.

In 2022, more than 1 out of 6 people ages 16 to 64 who suffered fatal overdoses were construction workers. Synthetic opioids were linked to around 75% of those overdose deaths.

That same year, 5,200 construction worker suicides were recorded. That’s 5.3 times more than the number of fatal work-related injuries documented in the industry.

“Work-related stressors such as job precarity, long working hours, injuries and poor safety climate are highly correlated with symptoms of anxiety and depression,” the report states. “To prevent mental health issues, the construction industry must address root causes, including work-related factors. Future research addressing modifiable workplace stressors and hazards that affect mental health is imperative to create safer worksites.”