Breaking the Silence: Addressing Mental Health in Construction

Picture this.

Three blokes are sitting on a park bench on a warm spring day. The sun is out, a light breeze moves through the trees and the smell of freshly cut grass hangs in the air. From a distance, everything looks completely normal. Move a little closer, though, and you begin to hear the conversation.

Person 1: Morning, mate. How was your weekend?

Person 2: Yeah, decent. Didn’t do much. What about you?

Person 1: Quiet one, really. I ended up reading something about mental health in construction.

Person 2: That sounds cheerful.

Person 1: I’m serious. The latest figures said 355 people working in skilled construction and building trades died by suicide in England and Wales in 2024.

Person 2: Three hundred and fifty-five? In one year?

Person 1: Yeah. Then I read that men in construction are still nearly four times more likely to die by suicide than the national average.

Person 2: Bloody hell.

There is a pause. The second man looks down at the ground before speaking again.

Person 2: I suppose everyone’s carrying something. No one really talks about it, though, do they?

Person 1: That’s the problem. We ask people if the job’s on programme, whether the materials have turned up and if the snagging is finished. We don’t often ask how they’re actually doing.

Person 2: Even if you ask, what are you meant to say when someone tells you they’re struggling? Who are we supposed to send them to?

The third man, who has been quiet until now, turns towards them.

Person 3: Have you heard of Onward Shift?

Person 2: Can’t say I have.

Person 3: It was started by a sparky from Essex. It helps people in construction find counselling, coaching, conversations and support that actually feels connected to the industry.

Person 1: That’s the one I was trying to remember. Onward something.

Person 3: Onward Shift. Have a look. It might be useful for you, or for someone you work with.

The conversation moves on, but something has changed. For a few minutes, three men have spoken honestly about something that is usually left unsaid.

The Figures Have Changed, but the Message Has Not

When this article was first written, it included several widely repeated figures about stress, feeling overwhelmed and the number of construction workers dying by suicide. Some came from older surveys, while others had been repeated across industry websites without enough explanation of what they measured. The concern behind them was real, but serious subjects deserve careful language and accurate information.

In April 2026, the Office for National Statistics published data on suicide deaths among construction workers. It recorded 355 deaths among people working in skilled construction and building trades in England and Wales in 2024. The ONS also makes an important point: a count on its own cannot tell us the level of risk because the size and make-up of the workforce must also be considered.

The wider risk remains deeply concerning. The Construction Leadership Council’s Mental Health Joint Code of Practice, published in June 2026, states that the suicide rate for men working in UK construction is nearly four times the national average. The Code is informed by research, industry consultation and the experiences of people working on the ground.

We should be careful about how we present these figures, but careful does not mean quiet. Each number represents a person whose absence will be felt by colleagues, friends, partners and families. It also tells us that the way our industry approaches mental health still needs to change.

Why Silence Can Feel Safer Than Speaking

It is easy to blame everything on the “macho culture” of construction. That culture certainly exists, and phrases such as “man up”, “crack on” and “stop moaning” have shut down plenty of conversations. However, the reasons people stay silent are often more complicated.

Some workers have never had an open conversation about their mental health, either at work or at home. They may not have the words to describe what is happening. Others worry that being honest could affect future work, overtime, promotion or the way they are treated by their team. A self-employed tradesperson may wonder whether admitting they are struggling will make a contractor think twice about offering them the next job. A supervisor may feel responsible for everyone else and believe they have no right to be the one who needs support.

There is also the fear of losing control. Once you have spent months or years keeping everything contained, speaking about it can feel as though you are opening a door that may not close again. Staying busy becomes a way of avoiding what is going on. Early starts, long shifts and weekend work leave very little time to stop and notice how you feel.

None of this means people are unwilling to change. Often, they are trying to protect their income, reputation, family or place within the team. If we want more people to speak, we need to understand what silence has been protecting them from and create conditions where honesty feels genuinely safe.

The Pressure Does Not Begin With the Individual

For years, much of the conversation about mental health at work has focused on personal resilience. Workers have been encouraged to manage their stress, sleep better, exercise, practise mindfulness and ask for help. Those things can be useful, but they only address part of the picture.

The Construction Leadership Council’s new Code takes the conversation further by identifying five groups of workplace hazards: working patterns, operational demands, people and the working environment, financial pressures and barriers to support. These include long hours, shift work, excessive travel, time away from home, unrealistic deadlines, poor planning, unclear communication, inadequate welfare facilities, bullying, late payments, job insecurity and stigma around asking for help.

Those are not weaknesses inside an individual. They are conditions created by the way work is commissioned, priced, planned, managed and delivered. A breathing exercise may help somebody steady themselves during a difficult moment, but it cannot correct a programme that was unrealistic from the start. Counselling can help a worker process the effect of bullying, but it does not remove the employer’s responsibility to deal with the behaviour.

This is an important change in how the industry understands mental health. Personal support remains essential, especially when someone is already struggling, but prevention has to begin further upstream. We need to reduce the pressure being created as well as support the person carrying it.

What Struggling Can Look Like on Site

Poor mental health does not always look like someone crying or saying they cannot cope. It may look like a reliable worker suddenly arriving late, making unusual mistakes or losing patience over small things. Someone may stop joining the group at break, become unusually quiet or cover everything with humour. They may volunteer for every hour available because going home means sitting alone with their thoughts. Others may start drinking more, sleeping less or taking risks they would normally avoid.

There can be physical signs too. Stress may show up through headaches, a racing heart, stomach problems, muscle tension or constant tiredness. Concentration may become harder, particularly when someone is also dealing with poor sleep. In an industry where people work with electricity, machinery, vehicles, tools and heights, feeling mentally exhausted or distracted can carry consequences beyond the individual.

One sign on its own does not tell you what is happening. People have bad days, make mistakes and sometimes want a bit of space. What matters is noticing a change, staying curious and being willing to check in without making assumptions.

A Conversation Is a Beginning

Talking does not instantly solve debt, grief, relationship problems, trauma or pressure at work. The second man on the bench is right to question what a conversation can achieve. Words alone cannot fix everything.

What a conversation can do is interrupt isolation. It can show somebody that their struggle has been noticed and that they do not have to hide every part of it. It can create the opening through which practical support becomes possible.

The usual “You alright?” is often asked while walking past, with both people already expecting the answer to be “Yeah, fine.” A more meaningful check-in needs a little time. You might say, “You don’t seem yourself lately. How are you really doing?” If they brush it off, you can let them know the door remains open and check again another day.

If someone does begin talking, resist the urge to immediately fix the situation or compare it with your own experience. Listen, give them time and take what they say seriously. You do not need a qualification to be a decent mate or colleague. You do need to recognise when the situation is beyond what you can safely hold alone and help the person connect with professional support.

If you are worried that someone may be thinking about suicide, it is okay to ask them directly. NHS guidance explains that asking about suicide does not put the idea into a person’s head and can give them permission to speak honestly. You can calmly ask, “Are you thinking about suicide?” If they say yes, stay with them, listen without judgement and help them access urgent support. If they are in immediate danger or unable to keep themselves safe, call 999 or take them to A&E.

What Employers Need to Do Differently

Mental health cannot sit entirely within an annual awareness week, a poster in the canteen or a phone number that nobody remembers. Those things can support a wider approach, but workers will judge the culture by what happens on an ordinary Tuesday when the job is behind and pressure is building.

The Health and Safety Executive’s guidance on work-related stress states that employers have a legal duty to assess the risk of stress and act on it, just as they would with other workplace health and safety risks. This means looking honestly at demands, control, support, working relationships, role clarity and the way change is communicated.

For construction companies, that can start before anyone arrives on site. Are the programme and workforce levels realistic? Has travel time been considered? Are payment terms fair and being honoured? Do welfare facilities give people somewhere clean and dignified to recover during a break? Are supervisors supported, or are they absorbing pressure from the client and passing it down the chain? Can workers raise a concern without fearing that it will cost them future work?

Managers and supervisors should be given the confidence to notice changes, begin a conversation and explain where support can be found. They should also understand their boundaries. Their role is to listen, respond appropriately and connect people with further help; it is not to diagnose someone or become their counsellor.

Access to confidential counselling or coaching can make a genuine difference, but people need to understand how confidentiality works and be given time to attend. Support should reach subcontractors, agency staff and self-employed workers wherever possible, because the person struggling on a project does not become less important because their name appears on a different payroll.

Onward Shift supports construction companies through workplace wellbeing services, honest conversations and practical resources created with the industry in mind. Our mental health toolbox talks help bring important subjects into everyday site conversations, while our keynote speakers use lived experience and professional insight to help people connect with the subject on a human level. These services work best when leaders are also prepared to examine how the work itself is affecting their people.

Why Onward Shift Exists

The man on the bench describes Onward Shift as something started by a sparky from Essex. That part is true.

I spent years working as an electrician and saw how easily people in construction could talk about almost anything except what was really going on inside them. I also know from my own life how difficult it can be to admit you are struggling. Therapy helped save my life, but reaching that point took time. I wanted to create something that made the route towards support feel clearer, more relatable and less disconnected from the people who might need it.

Onward Shift now supports people, companies and education. For individuals, that includes counselling and coaching through professionals who can help with anxiety, burnout, trauma, addiction, relationships, confidence and the many pressures that do not stay neatly at the site gate. It also includes community, free resources and conversations that allow people to learn without being forced to share before they are ready.

Our construction mental health podcast gives people the chance to hear honest stories from others who have faced difficult experiences. Sometimes hearing somebody describe a feeling you have never been able to explain is enough to make you realise you are not the only one. Our free Walk and Talk events create a more relaxed way to connect, side by side, without the pressure of a formal room.

There is no single route that works for everybody. One person may be ready for counselling, while another begins by listening to a podcast, attending a talk or having a walk with someone who understands. What matters is that there is a route forward and that people know where to find it.

If You Are the One Who Is Struggling

You may have read this article while recognising parts of yourself in it. Perhaps you are still getting through the working day but everything outside work is beginning to suffer. Maybe you feel constantly angry, exhausted or disconnected. You might know something is wrong but have no idea how to explain it.

You do not need to wait until you reach breaking point. Start with one person you trust. You can tell them, “I’m not doing as well as I look,” or, “I need to talk, but I don’t know where to start.” You can speak to your GP, explore counselling or use the support options provided beneath this article. If work is contributing to how you feel, you can also speak to a manager, HR team, union representative or another appropriate person, depending on what feels safe in your situation.

Looking after yourself can include rest, food, movement, time away from work and reducing unhealthy ways of coping, but please do not turn self-care into another standard you feel you are failing to meet. When somebody is struggling, even basic things can feel difficult. Begin with what is manageable and allow other people to help carry some of the weight.

The Conversation We Need to Keep Having

Back on the bench, none of the three men has solved the construction industry’s mental health crisis. They have not fixed every deadline, removed every financial worry or found the perfect words. They have simply spoken about something that would usually remain buried.

That still matters.

Change begins when conversations are followed by action: when a mate checks in again tomorrow, when a supervisor listens without judgement, when a director changes an unrealistic programme and when someone who has been struggling alone decides to accept support.

We have shown as an industry that culture can change when safety is taken seriously at every level. Mental health deserves that same attention, consistency and care. We need workplaces designed to reduce harm, leaders willing to look beyond the programme and support that people can reach before a difficult period becomes a crisis.

If you do not know where to begin, start with Onward Shift. Read, listen, come for a walk or speak to somebody. You do not need to have everything worked out before you take the first step.

No one in construction should feel that they are only a number on a spreadsheet, and no one should have to carry everything alone.