Suicide is a workplace risk that must be discussed. It doesn’t go away when we ignore it, and mental health issues can fester and worsen if not treated.

The construction industry is facing a mental health crisis. Construction workers have one of the highest rates of suicide by profession, being four times more likely to end their own lives than people in the general population, according to a 2016 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2022, for every 100,000 male construction workers, 56 died by suicide, according to CDC data. And the industry has a suicide rate five times greater than that of all other work-related fatalities in the industry, as noted by 2018 CDC data.

Suicide is more prevalent in men, particularly middle-aged men, “and that is the largest demographic in the construction industry,” said Kevin O’Shea, CEO and CFO of Shamrock Electric Co. Inc., Elk Grove Village, Ill. In 2021, the suicide rate among men was four times higher than among women, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Middle-aged men, ages 35–64, account for 40% of suicide deaths, according to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center.

Construction’s higher risk

There are many reasons and theories for why those in the construction industry are at a heightened risk for suicide. A major one is the extended time spent away from home.

“Many workers must travel and are separated from families and activities for extended periods of time,” said Wes Wheeler, executive director of safety for NECA. 

“The schedule puts them at odds with family and friends,” O’Shea said. “They get up very early, go to work, come home earlier than everyone else, spend a little time with family and then have to go to bed. They’re isolated from their support system.”

Wheeler noted a few other reasons: “the physical and mental tolls that construction has on an individual, the conditions of the work environment, physical hazards, long workdays and the perceived lack of education of that of a construction/blue collar worker.”

The physical aspects of the job can be incredibly demanding and can cause injury or pain. 

“Along with pain comes reliance on medication, which can get into the opioid crisis,” O’Shea said. “Alcoholism can happen because of the isolation; there is a higher incidence of alcoholism in construction trades.”

Lack of supervisors with proper leadership skills can also play a role.

“You’re always under a lot of pressure to get the job done, to work your way up through the ranks, [and] there isn’t always training for moving from one position to the next,” O’Shea said.

“Any one of these could be a factor on their own,” Wheeler explained. “And when pooled together, it is a recipe for potential despair.”

Building a healthy culture

Construction is a male-dominated field. Men are socialized to ignore, not talk about or address their mental health, and that if they do, it’s considered weak, O’Shea said.

So a big part of the solution requires turning that “stoic macho culture” on its head.

“The stigma of talking about your emotions in the construction industry is a thing of the past. It has to be a thing of the past,” he said.

O’Shea is open about his own experiences with ADHD and depression, which he believes can greatly help reduce the stigma people with mental illness face. 

“I share that I go to a therapist every week,” he said. “I share emotions all the time; it’s a part of who I am.”

Wheeler agreed with the importance of talking to co-workers and building camaraderie. “Get to know what is their why, what are their hobbies and interests, what do their children and family members participate in,” he said. “By being inquisitive and supportive of family issues and struggles, for example, if they are a single parent, that creates a bond that can prevent the negative outcomes of overly stressed, overly worked, overly separated individuals and provide the hope that they—and everyone—need.”

Shamrock Electric’s policy is that any physical injury, no matter how minor, must be reported, O’Shea explained. “People were getting metal cuts on their hands and started reporting them,” he said. “It turns out, their hands were slipping off the conduit as they pushed in metal studs. We got them rubber gloves so their hands wouldn’t slip, and then they weren’t getting cuts anymore.”

If these minor injuries weren’t being reported, “we wouldn’t have known to solve a problem,” O’Shea said. “It’s the same thing with depression—if you don’t know about it, you can’t solve it.”

Companies with an open culture of mental health can save lives, according to O’Shea.

“In 2019, one of our apprentices said to his journeyman, ‘I don’t know that I’ll be back tomorrow.’ And instead of saying, ‘Call me in the morning’, the journeyman asked, ‘What do you mean by that?’” O’Shea said.

The apprentice was experiencing multiple challenges in his life at the time, and because the journeyman was on alert to that type of language, he was able to get him help.

Years later, that same apprentice thanked O’Shea for being there for him at the lowest point in his life. “I truly believe that journeyman saying, ‘What do you mean by that?’ saved that young man’s life,” he said.

Mental health resources

Another important aspect of prevention is education, which provides employees with the proper tools to work through challenges. Teams should hold regular safety discussions. O’Shea said his company shares a safety message of the week that focuses on mental wellness once a month.

Many organizations offer tools, trainings and other forms of assistance. The Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention (CIASP) is an organization dedicated to shattering the stigma surrounding mental health issues, raising awareness about suicide prevention and providing resources and tools to create a zero-suicide industry. CIASP encourages the industry to pledge to STAND Up for suicide prevention, offering discussion topics, toolbox talks and resources for suicide prevention, intervention and postvention, to help companies and employees deal with crises.

Employee assistance programs (EAP) are a critical resource. But they are only effective if employees know they exist.

“Providing [supervisors] with training on how to ask important, difficult questions is key, as is reporting any abnormal employee behavior to activate the EAP resources through company and local union support,” Wheeler said.

Supervisors and foreman-level personnel must learn the signs and symptoms of someone who may be in crisis, Wheeler said. These signs can include what they are saying and doing and what is happening in their lives, O’Shea explained.

Another tool is the Living Works Suicide Prevention training’s TASC acronym, which can help supervisors or coworkers:

•  Tune in when they notice someone may need help, listen to what they’re saying and notice if behavior has changed.
•  Ask if they’re thinking about suicide, calmly and without judgment.
•  State that suicide is serious and permanent. 
•  Connect that person to help.

“Asking someone if they’re thinking about suicide isn’t going to put it into their head,” O’Shea said. “Either, A) they have been and now they’ll get help or B) it’ll be a wake-up call that maybe they do need to talk to somebody.”

Proactively addressing stigma

The best approach is addressing the problem head-on and raising awareness of mental health and suicide prevention.

Last year, NECA joined the board of CIASP, which was established in 2016 by the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) and in 2018 became its own nonprofit. O’Shea is also a trustee of CIASP.

“As a CIASP board member, I speak frequently to many groups, companies, utilities and others on this issue,” Wheeler said. “Each time I have presented, the audience has engaged in further discussion on the topic after I completed my presentation. It creates and provides a safe space and environment for these discussions between workers, supervisors and senior level personnel.” 

NECA is sponsoring an educational track at the 2025 Construction Working Minds Summit in Dallas, Texas, from Feb. 24–27. The conference focuses on mental health promotion, suicide prevention and addiction recovery at work, as well as capacity-building in the workplace and sustaining positive mental health and resiliency. 

Wheeler and his brother, Keith Wheeler, will give a presentation titled “Employee Wellness and Well-being: Enhancing Jobsite Safety.” In the past, they have presented at the NECA Safety Professionals Conference, the Construction Safety Conference in Chicago and the MCAA Safety Directors Conference.

In 2022, a safety alliance of NECA, MCAA, SMACNA and TAUC created a #988 chip to recognize September as National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. The organizations also participate in the White House Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose, a nationwide call-to-action to increase training on and access to life-saving opioid overdose reversal medications.

O’Shea also serves as a mentor for Mental Health America, a nonprofit dedicated to the promotion of mental health, well-being and illness prevention. He mentioned one of their T-shirt slogans: “There is no health without mental health.” 

“Your mental health is as important as your physical health,” he said. “And I truly believe that we have to pay attention to both of them equally.”

For more on what one electrical contractor is doing to help their employees, check out the Training column.

stock.adobe.com / Jorm Sangsorn