As Stress Awareness Month kicks off this April, St John’s Ambulance is tackling one of the most stressful industries to work in – construction – with a (literally) highly visible campaign addressing mental health directly.
In a bid to get construction workers to open up about their mental struggles and start a conversation, the charity is handing out ‘Hi Vis Stress Vests’ to employers in the sector; these are emblazoned with statements such as ‘my debt keeps me awake at night’ and ‘no-one will miss me when I’m gone’.
According to Rhianwen Conron, Wellbeing Manager at construction company BAM, the vests are proving “incredibly powerful” and “effective conversation starters”.
St John’s Ambulance has also enlisted the help of celebrities such as TV builder Tommy Walsh to get people talking, too.
Alongside this, the charity is launching a mental health first aid course aimed at construction workers using real-life scenarios to train employees to spot hidden signs, start difficult conversations and create workplaces where colleagues feel psychologically safe.
The campaign comes on the back of research amongst 500 construction workers which reveals that nearly a third (31%) say they are “struggling”, “overwhelmed” or even “suicidal”. The majority (82%) admit that they’ve had a mental health issue during their time working in the industry with nearly half (48%) saying their current levels of stress and anxiety are having a negative impact on their work.
Nevertheless, 71% say that they will not tell their employer about mental health challenges if they take time off, opting to give another more socially acceptable reason such as physical illness. The majority (60%) would like to see their employer do more to support mental health in the workplace.
Responding to these findings, Sam Downie, Managing Director of construction charity Mates in Mind, said:
“As this research shows, part of the issue is the persistent stigma that surrounds mental health, which prevents people from seeking help. We believe through providing skills, clarity and confidence to employers on how to raise awareness, improve understanding, implement effective interventions and address the stigma, it will help support people before they reach crisis point and mental health becomes everyone’s responsibility.”
Mates in Mind has identified gaps in provision as a major contributor to problems with its own research, for example, showing that almost half to do not have mental health policies in place. For this reason, it offers its supporter organisations a service to identify these gaps and provide interventions, tracking progress over time.
In recognition of the unique and significant challenges that the construction sector faces when addressing Workplace Mental Health and Wellbeing, our Mad World Summit event, which happens annually in London in October, last year added a construction stream (see here for an article summarising the inaugural event).
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