Monday, September 16, 2024
Building on Mental Health With Construction Suicide Prevention Week
Builder Magazine: Construction Suicide Prevention Week (CSPW) launched in 2020 and has since developed resources, toolbox talks, and webinars to increase understanding of the industry’s risks and lower the stigma surrounding mental health. Last year, nearly 300,000 construction workers across 47 states and territories participated in the week.
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Reading this article makes me more hopeful for potential changes to workplace procedure and philosophy to improve the mental health of construction workers in that what is being discussed in the article represents a philosophy of investing in your employees to better support them and thus produce better work on a more consistent basis. Having awareness of resources as well as being very upfront with the support systems in place (whether internal to the company, or external options CSPW discusses) allows for employees to address issues in their life that also affect the work they’re able to do in the workplace, and as such, as an employer supports their employees, not only does the health of the employees improve, so too does the efficiency and effectiveness of their work. Instead of being held back by limitations or fears, employees are able to better navigate their own life and workplace and as such I believe will produce better work on a more consistent basis.
The construction industry's focus on suicide prevention reminds me of similar challenges in the theater industry. While theater is a more niche field compared to architecture, mental health is undoubtedly a significant issue for many practitioners, even though suicides are less frequently reported. In the U.S., most theater workers are protected by union agreements that guarantee wages and hours, but there are still instances where union members fall outside these protections or feel compelled to overwork due to practical demands. These pressures can easily contribute to mental health struggles among theater professionals. For those working on touring productions, issues like chronic loneliness from constant travel, physical exhaustion, and the strain of working in a male-dominated environment can’t be overlooked. During a recent stage management seminar, a guest from the Hamilton tour shared that they now have a full-time psychologist on their team. It’s encouraging to see the theater industry taking steps to prioritize mental health, recognizing that this is just as important as any other aspect of the production process.
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