Mates in Mind launches free suicide prevention training for construction workers

Mates in Mind’s new digital training aiming to increase awareness and reduce suicide amongst sole traders and self-employed construction workers launched ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September.

This prevention focused digital training has been designed to address the challenges of this hard-to-reach group of construction workers who are often most at risk of mental ill-health and who might otherwise be unable to engage with mental health interventions.

Nearly two thirds of construction workers regularly experience stress and half experience anxiety. Most concerningly, nearly a third of construction workers have experienced thoughts of suicide at some point (Chartered Institute of Building). This underpins the harsh reality that workers in construction are at some of the highest risk of suicide in the country, at 3.7 times higher than the national average (ONS).

While working in construction provides many with great opportunities, the shocking statistics regarding the mental health of those working in this critical sector are the reason Mates in Mind, in partnership with the Baton of Hope, developed this suicide prevention training. Mates in Mind is a partner of The Royal Foundation’s National Suicide Prevention Network, a four nations initiative launched last year to strengthen access, collaboration and innovation across suicide prevention.

Mates in Mind research found that the mental health of self-employed construction workers and those working in small firms show that intense workloads, financial problems, poor work-life balance and pressures on the supply of materials, are combining to significantly raise stress and anxiety to severe levels.

But the Department for Work and Pensions found that, ‘Only 21 per cent of SMEs provide training for line managers on ways to improve employees’ health and wellbeing, compared to 76 per cent of large employers. While smaller businesses often have less capacity to offer this kind of training, with tighter budgets and fewer dedicated HR resources, the evidence is encouraging: among SMEs that have been able to provide such training, 79 per cent report it is effective in preventing employee ill health.’

The SME Wellbeing Index found that cost was a primary hurdle impacting 33 per cent of small and medium sized firms, whilst for 18 per cent a lack of internal resources and time was a more challenging barrier.

Therefore, this new digital first training aims to solve the challenges these workers face. Being free to access, it is not restricted to those that can afford it, and being digital means the modules can be accessed by any member of the team, anywhere, at any time, via a mobile phone or laptop.

Mates in Mind has been advocating for a prevention approach to mental health since 2017 and this new intervention is part of that ongoing work. The training, consisting of two modules (suicide awareness and suicide prevention), is part of a comprehensive package to increase mental health literacy, improve help seeking and end the stigma of mental ill-health. These three interventions are important elements in reducing the mental health risks identified in the ‘Support Factors Hazard’ of the Construction Leadership Council’s new Mental Health in Construction Joint Code of Practice (JCoP), meaning this new training intervention is aligned to the Code. Mates in Mind was part of the JCoP Project Steering Group.

The free training can also be accessed via the Mates in Mind website: https://bit.ly/MinM-WSPD26 .