The Mental Health Crisis in the Trades: What Can We Do?
Construction and trade professionals are significantly more likely to suffer from mental health issues, with tragic rates of suicide exceeding the national average.
The mental health challenges faced by tradespeople include those of long hours, physical demands, lone working and financial pressures.
What does the data say about the mental health crisis and the trades?
According to On The Tools, the UK’s largest community of tradespeople, 73% of the UK’s construction workforce have been affected by mental illness, and in the last decade 7,000 have taken their own lives.
The most recent data from the ONS regarding occupation and suicide rates in England (2020) looked at men and women in the age group 20-64 and found that males in skilled trades had the highest rate of suicide compared to other occupations, at 616 deaths.
The construction industry has a suicide rate four times the national average, and with this data available it is shocking how the crisis is relatively unknown outside the industry.
The Lost City addresses the crisis
The Lost City is a project that highlights the 7,000 construction workers who have died by suicide in the UK in the last decade. According to the project, this is the number of tradespeople it would take to build a city the size of Cardiff, with 150,000 affordable homes and 78 new schools.
It demonstrates the impact of this crisis, and how important it is to provide the help and support needed to tradespeople in the industry. The conversation around mental health has become increasingly vital for people in the trades, so how can we all help ourselves?
What can tradespeople do?
With more and more construction-related organisations shining a light on mental health, there is a real beacon of light ahead. While all this is taking place in the national media, we talked to some local Hemel Hempstead tradespeople to get their advice on looking after themselves. They told us:
- Speak to the manufacturers that have products you regularly use. A lot of them have What’s App groups full of tradespeople that you can join. You can use these groups to get advice while on the job from fellow installers and tradespeople, or just have some banter. There will always be someone ready to reply and this can help if you’re on site for hours at a time working on your own
- There’s a real active trades community on social media, particularly for heating installers, plumbers and electricians. Follow some people and you’ll probably find they are thinking similar things to you, with similar on-the-job problems to overcome. It’s a really supportive, valuable community
- Consider teaming up with other trades in the area, to work together on jobs like renovations, or even taking on an apprentice which not only helps the next generation, but also helps you give back
- Make time for hobbies; in the trades it is easy to work long hours when there’s always someone who needs your help and ultimately there’s always money to be made. But it is important to down tools and take time away doing something different, ready to go back to the job the next day fresh. Here at Gas Tech Heating, you’ll find Tom at a gym in Hemel Hempstead several times a week!
Have you got any more tips we can add to this list? DM us on social media or email in and we’ll happily add to the list and credit your idea!
For those struggling, contact the Samaritans at any time, day or night. There is also NHS guidance for help with suicidal thoughts, because you do not have to struggle alone.