The Construction Industry: A Mental Health Emergency in 2025

In the construction industry, we pride ourselves on building solid foundations. From homes and hospitals to bridges and skylines, we shape the landscape of the nation. But beneath the steel, concrete and high-vis jackets, something far more fragile is cracking: the mental health of our workforce.

According to the Chartered Institute of Building’s (CIOB) 2025 Mental Health Update, the picture is not just troubling it’s dire. Mental health has been a quiet crisis within construction for years but new data shows it’s getting worse, not better.

We are no longer at a crossroads. We are in the thick of it. The question is no longer “Is this a problem?” It’s “What are we going to do about it?”

The Human Cost Behind the Statistics
Let’s start with the numbers. They’re more than just percentages. They represent the daily battles of real people across every trade, every site, every boardroom. In the last 12 months alone:

• 94% of construction professionals experienced stress
• 90% reported severe fatigue
• 86% struggled with concentration
• 83% suffered from anxiety
• 82% felt overwhelmed
• 60% experienced depression
• 27% have had suicidal thoughts

   

Read that last line again.

That’s more than one in four people in our industry who have seriously considered ending their lives. Imagine an entire site crew of 10. At least 2 or 3 of them have had suicidal thoughts in the past year.

The Alarming Rise: What’s Changed Since 2020?

To truly grasp the scale of this crisis, we have to look at the changes over time. Comparing the mental health data from 2020 to 2025, the deterioration is undeniable and heartbreaking.

Stress has increased by 19%. That means nearly one in five more workers are feeling overwhelmed by pressure, deadlines and the sheer volume of expectations placed on them.

Anxiety is up by a staggering 27%. That’s more than a quarter increase. Imagine hundreds of thousands of skilled tradespeople across the UK trying to do their jobs while battling racing thoughts, chest-tightening fear and a constant sense of dread.

Depression has risen by 10%. Behind every one of those numbers is someone who feels hopeless, low or disconnected and often doesn’t have the tools or support to deal with it.

Fatigue has seen a 14% increase. Tired bodies we can push through. But mental fatigue? That eats away at motivation, clarity and the will to keep going. It’s not just tiredness it’s total mental shutdown.

Irritability is up 19%, often overlooked but deeply significant. When someone’s fuse is short, it’s a symptom of deeper exhaustion and mental strain not bad attitude.

Even more alarmingly, poor concentration has jumped by 30%. This is critical in construction where a moment of distraction can result in injury or fatal accidents. When concentration drops, safety plummets.

Lack of self-confidence has increased by 21%. When you don’t feel good enough, you stop putting your hand up, stop taking initiative and stop believing you matter. In an industry where pride in your craft is everything, this is devastating.

Feeling overwhelmed is up 16%, and it’s no wonder. Juggling unrealistic deadlines, being short-staffed, poor planning and working in high-pressure environments it’s a recipe for mental collapse.

And finally, suicidal thoughts the darkest consequence have increased by 7%. Any increase is too much. But a 7% rise in people feeling that life isn’t worth living should shake us all.

This isn’t just a warning sign it’s an emergency alarm and it’s not just affecting individuals. The entire industry is being strained at its seams.

Why Construction Is Particularly Vulnerable

Construction is a tough business. Physically, mentally and emotionally.

Long hours. Tight margins. High-risk environments. Constant deadlines.
Many workers are away from family for weeks even months at a time. The pressure to “crack on and get the job done” has, over decades, created a culture where pushing through pain is worn like a badge of honour.

Add to that an industry predominantly made up of men where the traditional belief is that showing emotion is weakness and you have a cocktail that breeds silence, suppression, and shame.

Mental health isn’t just struggling in construction it’s being actively buried.

“I was working 12-hour shifts. My body was knackered but my mind was worse. Couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat properly. When I finally broke down on-site, my manager just told me to go get a coffee and ‘shake it off’. That was the last job I ever worked.”
Anonymous Plant Operator, Midlands

What’s Driving This Mental Health Crisis?

The CIOB survey outlines the most common contributing factors to poor mental health across the sector:

• 69% – excessive workload
• 65% – poor communication from leadership or management
• 64% – unrealistic deadlines
• 64% – poor planning and organisation
• 60% – understaffed teams

It’s clear that this isn’t about individual resilience it’s about systemic conditions.

Workers aren’t failing to cope. They’re being put in environments where no one could cope and then being blamed for struggling.

It’s Not Just About Wellbeing It’s About Safety and Sustainability

Poor mental health doesn’t just live in the mind. It affects everything.

When someone is exhausted, depressed or anxious, they:

• Struggle to focus on detail
• Have slower reaction times
• May overlook critical safety checks
• Are more likely to make mistakes with tools or machinery
• May lash out or disengage completely from their team

This has real consequences on safety, productivity, morale and ultimately, on the bottom line.

Add to this the cost of absenteeism, presenteeism, high turnover and the price of replacing burned-out staff, and it’s clear: addressing mental health is not a ‘nice to have’ it’s a business imperative.

So What Can Be Done? Real Solutions, Not Just Slogans

It’s no longer enough to “raise awareness.” Most people in the industry know there’s a mental health problem. What we need now is action.

Here’s what real change looks like:

Train Leaders to Spot the Signs

Managers, foremen and supervisors are often the first line of defence. They must be trained not only to identify red flags like changes in behaviour, withdrawal, irritability or poor performance but also to know what to do when they see them.

Normalise Conversations Around Mental Health

Let’s end the stigma. Start toolbox talks with a mental health check-in. Create safe spaces to talk. Bring in speakers with lived experience. Make it OK to not be OK.

Reevaluate Workloads and Deadlines

If 69% of workers cite overwork as the main stressor, we must look at the planning stage. Unrealistic expectations lead to burnout. Smarter scheduling and realistic timelines can save lives not just projects.

Improve Site Welfare Facilities

A clean break room. Decent toilets. Running water. Access to phone chargers or private spaces to make a call. These sound basic, but they make a huge difference to someone’s day and sense of value.

Make Support Services Visible and Accessible

Many workers don’t use Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) because they don’t know they exist. Display information clearly. Provide anonymous helplines. Encourage their use without judgment.

Promote Work-Life Balance

Burnout doesn’t just come from long hours it comes from never switching off. Encourage use of annual leave. Support flexible work where possible. Even a few small changes to scheduling can have a major impact.

Breaking the Silence One Story at a Time

Change doesn’t just come from policy. It comes from people. It comes from leaders at every level saying, “I’ve struggled too.”

When a site manager opens up about going to therapy…
When a subcontractor takes time off for mental health and comes back stronger…
When a company shares how they support staff, not just that they do…

That’s when culture begins to shift.

“Talking to someone saved my life. No one at work knew I was struggling. When I finally spoke up, I realised I wasn’t alone and it gave others the courage to do the same.”
Ground worker, London

Let’s Not Wait for the 2030 Report

We cannot afford to let another five years go by and look back again with regret. The time for change is now.

If you work in HR, operations, project management or on the tools you have a role to play.
If you lead a business, set policy, or shape industry standards you have even more responsibility.

Mental health is everyone’s business in construction.
Let’s build better from the inside out.

Join the Movement. Be Part of the Solution.

Share this article with your team.
Talk to someone today.
Take action in your workplace, no matter how small.

Let’s create an industry where mental health isn’t an after thought it’s part of the foundation.