{"id":51065,"date":"2019-01-15T14:32:42","date_gmt":"2019-01-15T14:32:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/?p=51065"},"modified":"2019-01-15T14:32:42","modified_gmt":"2019-01-15T14:32:42","slug":"stress-mental-health-construction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/health-safety-news\/stress-mental-health-construction\/51065\/","title":{"rendered":"Stress and mental health issues in construction"},"content":{"rendered":"

With long hours, demanding workloads and projects that are often short-term and far from home, it\u2019s no surprise that construction is a high-risk industry for workplace stress<\/h2>\n

When stress and associated mental health struggles aren\u2019t handled effectively, they can spiral out of control \u2013 with tragic consequences in the worst cases. Sadly, suicide rates for construction workers are up to three times higher than average.\u00a0 More than half of the people working in the industry reported experiencing mental health issues. Due to the stigma that still surrounds mental health, a large proportion felt unable to tell their employer that they were struggling. For those who take time away from work for mental health reasons, it can sometimes be tempting to blame the time away on another problem and avoid the conversation entirely.<\/p>\n

Clearly, the scale of the problem is huge. Tackling it will require action from all levels of the industry, and in many ways, the conversation on this issue has only recently begun. However, there are some concrete steps that employers and individual workers alike can take to mitigate stress and encourage better mental health<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Ending the stigma<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s vital to create a culture where employees feel comfortable discussing their mental health and accessing help if they need it.<\/p>\n

Letting workers know where they can go for support is key. This can be communicated through company emails, individual conversations with line managers, meetings, and flyers with the relevant information being left in communal areas on site. Employers should take into account the fact that not all workers will feel comfortable raising the alarm with their direct manager, whereas for others this will be the best avenue to getting help. Listening to your workers and addressing their specific needs is very important.<\/p>\n

Many people would feel comfortable discussing physical injuries with their colleagues but would shy away from discussing stress, anxiety or depression. Social support is an important step in recovery from mental health struggles and maintaining good mental health, so simply creating an environment where this is discussed as openly as a cold or a broken leg is supportive in itself. Work colleagues will generally be keen to support their friends when they\u2019re struggling, and even asking \u201chow are you?\u201d or inviting a new colleague to join them at lunch can make a difference.<\/p>\n

Providing support and knowing the signs<\/h3>\n

Training workers and managers in stress management is a good way of helping them to spot the early signs of mental health problems in themselves and their colleagues. Because of the stigma surrounding mental health, people sometimes feel ashamed of what they\u2019re going through or assume they can just \u201csnap out of it\u201d and handle it themselves. Unfortunately, these attitudes can often lead to their conditions worsening.<\/p>\n

Some of the early signs of work-related stress are:<\/p>\n