Talking Mental Health in Construction

A new face-to-face Causeway Technologies mental health survey launched on 22nd  November 2023 reveals key insights with shocking stats and interesting positive news.

Over the last 18 months, Causeway Mental Health Ambassador and ex-Everton footballer Trevor Steven has taken an epic journey around construction sites, with support from people like Matt 'George' Harthill of Lyndon SGB, talking to 1,439 construction workers about the topic of mental health. 

And the statistics below are the harsh reality of what our industry still faces: 

• 56% of those surveyed were either currently experiencing or have experienced a mental health problem in the past. To me, this is a huge figure.
• The top five mental health problems cited by respondents were: Anxiety (40%), depression (37%), fatigue linked to low mood (28%), lack of self-confidence (25%) and feeling overwhelmed (25%).
• When asked what they think contributes to poor mental health in the construction industry, 59% said long and irregular working hours, followed by financial pressures (50%), lack of job security (45%), tight deadlines (43%) and site culture (41%)
• 80% of employees agree that their company has a responsibility to support their mental health, but 35% said they don't think their company is doing enough to support employees in this area.
• 78% would support tech that gives them direct access to external, confidential support such as counsellors, a dedicated helpline or a chat function.
• 65% support tech that monitors their work patterns to make sure they are taking breaks and working for a safe amount of time.

Commenting, Trevor said: "We've had some very frank conversations over the last 18 months about the reality of working in the industry and how it can impact mental health. 

"We also discovered the strength of the construction sector's connection with football in particular, with 67% of the people we spoke to being football fans. 

"And even better still, 58% of them said they would be more likely to access mental health support from the club they support. 

"So this is great news and something we can build on with the work we have already done with the charity Everton in the Community.” 

To download the full survey, which includes a new industry pledge and more details, visit https://bit.ly/3sUPjGm