Uniting the construction industry and partners to tackle the suicide crisis
Author: Dr Charlotte Hills
The suicide rate among construction workers is nearly four times the national average.
“If it rains, if the job changes, if they get injured… they might not get paid. How do you think this impacts their families? Then, if they speak up about their mental health, they might lose more work.”
While there are pockets of great work on mental health, systemic change is needed to really improve things. That’s why, with support from the University of Warwick’s Policy Support Fund, a diverse group from across the industry came together to kick-off the Construction Leadership Council’s Mental Health Project. There’s still time for you to get involved in this major collective effort to reduce suicide in the construction industry.
The energy at two launch meetings was palpable – and we wanted to share some of the key insights from the days with you here. As Penny Triantafillou, Associate Director, Warwick Business Partnerships reflected:
“The level of collaboration and commitment from across the sector today shows that mental health in construction is finally getting the attention it deserves.”
Leaders from large ‘Tier 1’ contractors, clients, researchers, policymakers, and frontline charities united to behind the mission: to understand and address the root causes behind the industry’s alarmingly high suicide rates.
What are the issues?
Construction is known as a ‘tough industry’, but understanding why it takes such a toll on mental health requires evidence, not assumption. The group agreed that action must be guided by research. Warwick researcher Dr. Sophie Clohessy highlighted issues such as ‘low job control’, where workers operate in rigid hierarchies with little autonomy, frequent conflict, and poorly defined roles. The work is often physically demanding, long, and far from home - all of which add strain. The sector also has a higher prevalence of neurodiversity, which is rarely acknowledged or supported in current working practices.
Financial instability, high on the list of challenges, was also discussed at length. One in three construction workers is self-employed. According to the UNITE union, many are “stripped of their rights and sacked without warning.” As Liz Gribbin, Director of Builder’s Talk Group put into perspective:
Despite the construction being an industry which puts a strain on wellbeing, mental health is not treated in the same way as other hazards. David Bucksley, Head of Health & Wellbeing at Turner & Townsend shared a powerful analogy:
“Imagine if a company had no fire procedures — they wouldn’t even be allowed to bid for work. But we don’t hold the same standards when it comes to mental health. We still lose two people per day to suicide in the construction industry – the dial is not changing. During the tendering process as well as asking “how many accidents have you had onsite?” we should be asking about suicide.”
Change is possible
Construction’s challenges are well known, but now there’s real momentum for change. As the group noted, the industry has transformed before: after the 1974 Health and Safety Act, site injuries fell sharply. Today, 10x more construction workers die by suicide than in onsite accidents. Mental health needs the same serious, systemic response.
Dr. Sophie Clohessy shared insights from focus groups where construction workers were asked, “What should the industry do to change?” Attendees built on their suggestions, with the most highly ranked ideas including:
Set a minimum standard for welfare facilities
Involve workers, unions, and mental health professionals in project planning
Classify work-related stress as a RIDDOR-reportable incident, making it mandatory to report to the HSE like other health and safety issues
Pay the supply chain on time, and value their expertise
Current training is often too long and theoretical, making it hard to use in real situations. The group discussed a more practical, behavioural science–based approach to reduce stigma and help people take clear, confident action when someone discloses suicidal thoughts.
Exciting ongoing work in the UK was also presented. Ann Marie Coulthurst, Head of Health & Wellbeing, J Murphy & Sons, shared the success of their Health Hub facilities trial, and explored adding such facilities into contract terms. Nicola Pease, Lead Principal Consultant, Timewise, spoke about the measurable boost in wellbeing and productivity following flexible working trials.
What’s next?
“We urgently need updated evidence and specific insights localised to the UK. That means understanding the hazards that drive distress, hearing from minoritised groups, and evaluating which interventions actually work here in the UK. We can’t fix what we don’t understand, and we can’t afford to guess.”
Research at Warwick, lead by Dr Carla Toro at Warwick Medical School, continues to focus on gathering solid evidence to bring about systemic change. Much of what we know comes from Australia, where suicide rates in construction have fallen thanks to long-term collaboration between researchers, industry, and government. The UK has the chance to follow that lead, but first, we need to fill critical gaps in the evidence base.
The Warwick University team, alongside the Construction Leadership Council (CLC), is now preparing a major grant bid for the next phase of research, and an industry-wide consultation will soon gather feedback and build a roadmap for action on practical solutions.
As Sarah Jones, The UK’s Minister of State for Industry, said at the CLC Health, Safety & Wellbeing Summit on the 1st of July:
““The CLC’s project on mental health, in partnership with ‘Tier 1s’, ‘Mates in Mind’ and the University of Warwick is taking an holistic approach to create an industry-wide environment for better mental health.”
This will result in a Joint Code of Practice for Managing Mental Health in construction (due for publication in February 2026), enabling industry- wise collaboration for decisive action.”
Stay involved
If you are interested in shaping the course of the industry consultation, you can find out more and make contact with those leading CLC consultation in 2025. Your insight won’t just be welcomed, it will play a vital role in helping define practical, collective solutions.