By Sonya Bohmann, Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention
Recently, I had the opportunity to present to a trade group in the Midwest. During the discussion, someone asked a question that I have heard in various forms many times before:
“Are we creating a problem that does not actually exist by talking so much about suicide and suicide prevention? Why are we suddenly talking about mental health, especially in the trades?”
It is a fair question. For many people in construction, the attention being given to mental health can feel new. Conversations about emotional wellbeing, stress, depression, substance use, and suicide prevention are appearing at conferences, on job sites, and in company training programs with a level of visibility that simply did not exist years ago.
The truth, however, is that this conversation is not new at all.
World Suicide Prevention Day was first recognized on September 10, 2003. Five years later, September was designated as National Suicide Prevention Month. Within the construction industry, the conversation gained significant momentum around 2015 with support from organizations such as the Construction Financial Management Association. In 2018, the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention was formed, creating a unified voice for the industry. By 2020, Construction Suicide Prevention Week was launched, bringing even greater awareness to the issue.
In short, this is not a conversation that appeared overnight. It has been developing for more than two decades. Yet despite that history, many people still feel as though the topic has suddenly emerged. Why?
There are three primary reasons mental health and suicide prevention have risen to the top of the industry’s safety agenda.
First, we have data.
For years, many people in construction had a sense that something was wrong. Workers were struggling with stress, substance use, isolation, financial pressures, and other challenges, but there was little objective information to quantify the problem. That changed when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released data showing construction among the occupations with the highest rates of suicide.
The numbers confirmed what many industry leaders, coworkers, and family members had already experienced firsthand. The issue was not anecdotal. It was measurable, significant, and affecting workers across every sector of construction.
Once the data existed, it became impossible to ignore. Industry leaders could no longer dismiss mental health concerns as isolated incidents. They had evidence demonstrating that worker wellbeing was directly connected to health, safety, and organizational performance.
Second, more organizations have entered the conversation.
Over the last decade, associations, labor organizations, safety groups, suppliers, contractors, insurance providers, and nonprofit organizations have all begun championing mental health initiatives. As more voices joined the discussion, awareness expanded beyond a handful of advocates.
Today, conversations about mental health occur at industry conferences, safety summits, leadership retreats, apprenticeship programs, and job site meetings. Resources are more readily available than ever before, and companies have access to training programs, mental health champions, peer support networks, recovery initiatives, and educational materials specifically designed for construction workers.
The result is that what once felt like a niche topic has become part of mainstream industry dialogue.
Third, the workforce itself is changing.
Today’s construction workforce spans multiple generations. In many organizations, up to five generations are working alongside one another. Each generation brings different experiences, expectations, and perspectives regarding mental health.
Younger workers, in particular, are often more comfortable discussing stress, anxiety, depression, and emotional wellbeing than previous generations. They are also more likely to expect employers to provide resources and support systems that address mental health alongside physical safety.
At the same time, construction faces a significant workforce shortage. Industry projections suggest that for every new worker entering the skilled trades, several experienced workers are reaching retirement age. As competition for talent increases, companies must adapt to the expectations of the next generation of workers.
Mental health support is no longer simply a benefit. It has become a critical component of recruitment, retention, and employee engagement.
Encouragingly, there are signs that the industry’s efforts are making a difference.
Early adopters began implementing programs focused on total human health, peer support, and mental health awareness years ago. Since then, many organizations have integrated mental health components into safety training, leadership development, and employee assistance programs. Most recent data indicate a small but meaningful decrease in suicide rates within construction. While a reduction of 1.7% may appear modest, it represents progress in an area where every life matters.
No one should mistake that progress for completion. We still have a long way to go before we can realistically talk about becoming a zero-suicide industry. However, after years of measurement, education, and advocacy, we are beginning to trend in the right direction.
The challenge now is sustaining momentum.
One of the most important shifts we must make as an industry is recognizing that mental health is workplace safety. For decades, construction has focused tremendous energy on reducing injuries and fatalities associated with physical hazards. Through training, awareness campaigns, accountability, and culture change, we have successfully reduced many traditional safety risks.
Mental health deserves the same commitment.
Consider this: most construction companies provide CPR training because cardiac emergencies can occur on the job. Yet statistically, workers may be just as likely, if not more likely, to encounter a coworker experiencing a mental health crisis. If we accept that reality, then training employees to recognize warning signs, start supportive conversations, and connect people to resources becomes a natural extension of our existing safety efforts.
Mental health cannot be something we discuss only during Mental Health Awareness Month in May or Suicide Prevention Month in September. It must be integrated into everyday operations and conversations throughout the year.
The opportunities are endless. Toolbox talks can address mental wellbeing alongside traditional safety topics. Discussions about sleep, hydration, fatigue, substance use, stress management, financial wellness, and work-life balance all connect directly to mental health. Even broader awareness campaigns throughout the year can provide opportunities to reinforce the message that seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness.
Ultimately, the goal is to create a true culture of care.
What does that look like?
A culture of care recognizes that mental health exists on a continuum and that everyone moves along that continuum throughout their lives. It creates environments where employees are trained to look out for one another and know what to do when they are concerned about a coworker. It fosters realistic expectations, second-chance opportunities, and supportive leadership practices. It removes stigma and encourages open dialogue.
Most importantly, it creates workplaces where people understand that feelings belong on the tool list just as much as hard hats, safety glasses, and gloves.
If your organization is looking for a place to begin, there has never been a better time than now. Start by visiting www.preventconstructionsuicide.com
Use September as your starting point. Host a town hall meeting. Include a mental health toolbox talk at a safety meeting. Share resources through your intranet, social media channels, or company newsletter. Create small but meaningful opportunities for employees to recognize that support exists, and that conversations are welcome.
One simple action is updating your email signature with a resource such as:
“If you or someone you care about is experiencing a crisis, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.”
Small actions create visibility. Visibility creates awareness. Awareness creates connection, and connection saves lives.
Together, we can continue changing the statistics. We can continue changing the conversation. Most importantly, we can create an industry where every worker knows they matter, every worker knows help is available, and every worker has the opportunity to go home healthy in both body and mind.
About the author:
Sonya Bohmann- Executive Director- Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention. Coming from a commercial (re) construction having spent over a decade in the commercial remodel and refresh and facilities maintenance space. Giving her the unique understanding of how the industry works as well as the mental health challenges faced daily by construction workers. This experience has given her insight into how companies both large and small are tackling this worker crisis and what work still needs to be done.
