Suicide Kills 6 Times More Construction Workers Than On-The-Job Injuries. The Industry Is Finally Ready To Talk About It

A 2016 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention uncovered a truth that the construction world had long been hiding: Workers are dying by suicide at astronomical rates.

Those rates have only increased since. Construction workers are four times more likely to die by suicide than those in other industries, and the risk is six times greater than dying from a job site injury, according to the latest figures by the CDC.

It's a problem that construction firms are acutely aware of but admittedly have struggled to find solutions for. But since the studies have raised awareness about the subject, more contractors are talking about wellness and making more resources available on job sites. 

“In the past, if [a suicide] happened in a company, they would try to tamp down that information as much as possible because nobody should be talking about it, and ‘We don't have that problem here,’ or, ‘We're too macho to have that conversation,’” Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention Executive Director Sonya Bohmann told Bisnow. 

“Now they're reaching out for help,” said Bohmann, whose group was born following the 2016 study.

Those in the industry often work long hours, at times in extreme heat, under the pressure of developers to quickly bring projects to the market. Around 15% of all construction workers have a substance abuse disorder, compared to 8.6% of the general population, in part due to job-related chronic pain, according to the American Addiction Centers. 

Those risk factors are further compounded by a work culture where depression is often perceived as a weakness, industry leaders and mental health advocates say.

Just 26% of construction workers say that they are likely to seek care when experiencing mental health or substance use concerns, according to a 2021 industry survey by the Center for Workplace Mental Health. Of those who say they may not seek care, 78% say they fear shame and stigma and 77% have concerns about judgment from their peers.

But some companies are taking the first steps toward reducing suicides by ending that stigma. 

Clayco Vice President of Field Culture and Inclusion Dan Lester said that the issue was not on his radar until after the CDC released its initial study. 

“We started to draw a correlation,” Lester said. “It's not just about mental health, it's about culture as well.”

Since then, Clayco has introduced a variety of resources on job sites, like offering the company’s employee assistance program to both white and blue-collar workers. 

For workers, conversations about mental health start on day one at orientation and then take place quarterly at a safety lunch and monthly at toolbox talks, Lester said. 

On each job site, Clayco has added posters that point workers to mental health screenings. Wallet cards and poker chips with that same information are also available. Workers can add stickers on their hard hats with the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline on it. 

“The industry is hungry for this information,” Lester said. “They may not be ready to access those resources, but they want to hear people talking about it.”

Turner Construction is doing the same, with posters and stickers available on job sites. After each holiday, workers participate in a safety stand down, where they get a refresher on physical precautions and overall wellness, said ​Bert Rahm, the vice president and general manager of Turner's New York Business Unit.

He added that the company is partnering with outside firms to bring more programming to employees, an initiative that he expects will be rolled out before the first quarter of 2025.

“Are we trained to deal with it? The answer is no. Are we starting to get more training around it? The answer is yes,” Rahm said. “Construction workers are tough people. They don't want to show a soft side. So trying to get past that initial concept of substance abuse, problems at home, mental illness and how that's dealt with on the job site level is not something that everyone can recognize.”

But many other firms have yet to conduct any mental health training, according to a Center for Workplace Mental Health survey. Only a quarter of employees and supervisors in the construction industry are provided with training, one of the most helpful resources for employees. About half of the industry includes discussions on mental health in toolbox talks. 

While 32% of construction firms offer posters and fact sheets, just 10% have wallet cards and hardhat stickers — more subtle ways to get help if an employee fears stigma — according to the survey.

In New York, the Building Trades Employers’ Association is working to introduce a package of legislation that would both order the city to collect more data on suicides in the industry and require mental wellness education in all safety trainings and orientations.

“Every worker that goes to a New York City construction site building that is regulated by the Department of Buildings has to go to a site safety training, and that's 40 hours,” BTEA President and CEO Elizabeth Crowley said. “That training has two hours dedicated to substance abuse. It never touches upon mental wellness.”

“We're pushing for what we think are easy reforms,” Crowley added.

Still, suicide and mental health can remain taboo, especially when coming from a “suit,” said Brendan Loftus, the director of the member assistance education program for Local One International Union of Elevator Constructors of New York and New Jersey.

Loftus has been in substance abuse recovery for 26 years and is a suicide survivor. He now works to assist others in the industry with the issues he too has faced.

“Eight years ago, when I was sending people to residential care, 99% of the people I sent away were for substance use disorder,” Loftus said. “Now I would say 50% of the people I send away for residential care are purely for mental health, no substance use disorder at all. It's really come to the forefront.”

Though substance abuse is tied to depression and other mental health issues, Loftus said that depression is typically viewed as more shameful than having an alcohol or drug problem.

It’s a challenge that Loftus is well aware of. He didn't speak publicly about his suicide attempts until 20 years into his sobriety.

Among the ways to make the conversation on mental health easier is not just to invest in resources, but by having unions or other work peers bring the conversation up at job site shanties or in small groups, eliminating the fear of being fired by an employer. 

“Everybody has been touched by it in one way, shape or form,” Loftus said. “Having [the resources] put out there by the right people, so people can trust that the information isn't going to affect their careers, is key to any startup of a program.”

“If we invest the same money we invest in safety, the construction industry would be rock stars when it comes to mental health,” he added.

EDITOR’S NOTE — In the U.S., the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org.