Handouts, Planning Tools & Training Programs

Mental Health in the Construction Industry

Construction work can be inherently stressful! Risk factors such as seasonal work, travel away from family, pressure to perform, and irregular hours can increase feelings of anxiety and depression. The Toolbox Talks below and CPWR’s new resilience training tool are designed to help support workers through these types of challenges.

New Training Materials for Building Resilience

CPWR’s new resilience training tool includes nine activities that guide discussions with construction workers about substance use, suicide, and mental and physical wellbeing. These field-tested training activities are designed for groups of 8-10 apprentices or journey-level workers and can be completed in 30 minutes to an hour. The workbook includes detailed facilitation instructions and an introductory slide set.

In addition to job-related stress, anxiety, and depression, more severe mental health issues like opioid use disorder and suicide are impacting construction workers at alarming rates. Rates of both opioid use and suicides have risen dramatically throughout the US over the past several years, and studies have shown that these are areas of particular concern for the construction industry.[1], [2] CPWR has developed a number of training and other resources on these topics, as well as gathering helpful resources from other organizations for easy access to information and assistance.

  • Click here to find information and resources about opioid deaths, prevention, and pain management alternatives.
  • Click here to find resources to help organizations and individuals understand suicide prevention, start a conversation, and play a role in supporting friends, co-workers and family members

If you or someone you know needs immediate help, please contact:

National Suicide Prevention Lifelinea free and confidential (U.S.) resource that connects individuals with skilled, trained counselors 24/7. Call 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255)
Use the online Lifeline Crisis Chat
or or reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting “HELLO” to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor.

 


[1] Centers for Disease Control. Opioid Overdose: Understanding the Epidemic. https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/epidemic/index.html (accessed November 2019)

[2] SafeBuild Alliance. Mental Health & Suicide Prevention. http://safebuildalliance.com/resources/mental-health-suicide-prevention (accessed September 2019)