Swedish research on the suicide rate among construction workers finds that deaths tend to come as a shock to colleagues who were unable to detect any warning signs.
It was carried out by academics at Gothenburg University based on interviews with 43 workers and managers.
One interviewee, talking about a colleague’s suicide, said they had not noticed any signs that they were feeling low. They described it as a shocking experience that was difficult to understand.
Researchers examined how well the industry protects workers’ mental health after statistics show the suicide rate among male construction workers is 50% higher than the average for men, and is even higher in the UK and the US.
The study found that the macho culture of the industry tended to stigmatise anybody who admits to suffering from anxiety or depression.
Another factor is the higher possibility of injury caused by physically demanding work, with the result that workers experience chronic pain, leading to poor mental health.
It highlighted the role that managers can play in promoting mental health.
The interviews picked out the positive difference that empathetic and supportive managers can make, and the negative effects of managers who take a purely performance-based approach.
One of the construction workers commented: “I have signalled that I would not be feeling my best. The answer was ‘let’s deal with that later, we need to finish the project first’. Then the next project starts.”
Commenting on her work, Kristina Aurelius, an associate professor at the university, said: “Our interviews revealed that many workers do not report or seek help when they feel mentally unwell, and that some self-medicate with alcohol and painkillers.
“We also see that there is a need for better procedures on how to deal with mental illness and clearer social support in the workplace.”
The study is published in the journal PLOS One.
- Subscribe here to get stories about construction around the world in your inbox three times a week
Further reading:
