The hazards in the construction industry do not include only the hazard for a physical health condition. Mental health issues of the construction worker are also dangerous to the worker’s safety. According to the survey, the construction industry has the second-highest suicide rate of about 53.3 per 100,000 workers as the construction industry is surrounded by a stressful lifestyle.
Construction workers die more than six times by suicide than in workplace accidents. Over 9% of the construction workers have a mental Behavioural disorder due to stress at the workplace. The stress in the construction industry is caused due to job insecurity, Work conflicts & overload, interpersonal conflicts, etc. By analysing these facts the construction industry should provide mental health support services to the workers.
Top ways to support Mental Health in the Construction Industry
1. Mental Health and Workplace
Mental health is important in construction industries to promote a healthy working environment for construction employees. First, the construction worker should recognize the early stage of stress, anxiety with their co-workers, and inform mental health support services to save the employee’s life. The construction industry should set up a camp for managing the mental health of the workers. The workers will feel inconvenient to share their mental issues with others. So the workers who feel themselves depressed should utilize the camp.
2. Mental Health Industry
The workers who are depressed can call the Mental health industry for service. The mental health industry provides services through mobile, at the emergency ward in the service center, or even at the worker’s home. The mental health industry consists of mental health service experts who analyze and provide advice or solution to their depression.
3. Mental Health Policy
To provide a safe work environment workers’ mental health policy and mental health support services should be maintained.
4. Create a Safe Workplace
The important measure to be taken for the workers is to provide a safe work environment. The physical injuries not only affect the physical body, but it can also affect mental health. Chronic pain will also lead to mental depression. The construction industry is a dangerous worksite when compared to other sectors.
Training for employees for the safe loading, transportation, and unloading with personal protective equipment will reduce the physical damage to the workers. So the increased physical and mental safety measures for the workers will create a better work atmosphere.
5. Education on Mental Concerns
Make your team talk freely about the mental issues faced by them. The open talk may help to provide further support for their mental behavioural disorders. Establishing the mental health policy for the construction industry will help to identify and educate people for managing mental health. Also, educate the workers about where to seek help for the mental health changes and how to make themselves confident and safe at the workplace.
Advice should be given to depressed workers to get therapy once a week to avoid bad decisions like suicide. Education on suicide control, managing mental health, physical safety measures, conducting some fun events, and free talk about worker’s issues by breaking the silence will help to get away from mental behavioural disorders.
6. Online Mental Health Support
When workers feel inconvenient to reach the mental health industry or mental camp inside the campus, support them by providing the online mental health support platform. Various online mental health support tools are free and everyone can access them. Online mental health support includes online communities, online therapy, chatbox, online advice, etc.
Online communities include the group of people with the same interest will combine to provide advice, support, and share information about their mental issues and how can get out from mental disorder. Sharing depressed feelings between people will help to get a new experience which also gives self-motivation.
Online therapy will support workers who feel uncomfortable moving to the clinic to get therapy and who find it difficult to travel. The therapist can provide live therapy through a message or webcam.
Chatbox and online advice include advice through some app or website. The depressed worker can visit such a platform and make a solution to their problem. The online consulting will also help to give a solution for their problem by giving confidence and remove the thought of suicide from their mind.
It is the responsibility of the construction industry to manage their employee’s mental health and workplace.