Every day, thousands of construction workers show up ready to build, problem-solve, and power through the toughest conditions. But behind that grit, many are silently struggling.
This Men鈥檚 Mental Health Awareness Month, we鈥檙e shining a light on a challenge that affects our workforce in deeply personal ways.
According to the CDC, 1 in 4 construction workers report mental health concerns, and the suicide rate in our industry is nearly four times higher than the national average. These are more than just statistics鈥攖hey鈥檙e lives, families and teammates impacted across job sites nationwide.
Compounding this crisis is the fact that men are nearly four times more likely to die by suicide than women, per the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Yet in a Cleveland Clinic survey, nearly half of men (49%) said they had felt more depressed than they admitted to friends or family. The reasons? Fear of judgment, stigma around asking for help, and a long-standing cultural expectation to 鈥渢ough it out.鈥�
But here鈥檚 the truth: Real strength is speaking up. Real strength is checking in. Real strength is knowing you鈥檙e not alone.
At Clune, we鈥檙e not mental health professionals. But we are a company made up of people who care about one another, on and off the job site.
We believe:
- It鈥檚 okay to talk openly about mental health.
- A simple check-in can mean everything.
- Everyone deserves to feel safe, supported, and heard.
- Using your resources isn鈥檛 weakness, it鈥檚 wisdom.
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. Here are a few resources worth sharing:
- National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Dial 988
- Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention (CIASP):
- Crisis Text Line: Text HELLO to 741741
- Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs): Available through many employers, including Clune.
Mental health isn鈥檛 just a personal issue, it鈥檚 a safety issue, a culture issue and an industry issue. By breaking the silence, we start to break the stigma.
Let鈥檚 keep looking out for our crews, not just on the job, but in life.
Sources:
- CDC, 2020: Mental Health in the Construction Industry
- CDC/NIOSH, 2024: Suicide Rates by Major Occupational Group
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: afsp.org
- Cleveland Clinic, 2022: Men鈥檚 Mental Health Survey
