Why construction workers face one of the highest suicide risks

There’s plenty of discussion surrounding the chronic labor shortage facing construction, but the industry is simultaneously grappling with a quieter, perhaps more anguishing crisis. For years, experts raised concerns about the disproportionate mental health burden among construction workers. A 2021 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided data to back them up. The report found that construction had the second-highest rate of suicide among all occupations in the United States. Workers in the industry died by suicide at a rate four times higher than the overall national average. Many more struggled with mental health crises and challenges with substance abuse. This crisis prompted industry leaders to create Construction Suicide Prevention Week (CSPW) and Hard Hat Courage, among other organizations. These organizations provide free resources for construction workers and employers to tackle this crisis, while working to reduce stigma around the mental health challenges impacting so many in the industry. On the heels of Labor Day, when the nation pauses to honor its workforce, it’s a fitting moment to confront a problem that professionals in construction...