WORRYING statistics have revealed that builders are more like to die by suicide than any other industry. And the issue is worsening, despite general efforts to get blokes to open up about their mental health. New figures show 749 construction workers took their own lives in 2022.
The Build Network UK said deaths increased 12 per cent in a year from 668 in 2021. It added that suicide rates are the highest of any industry, with labourers four times more likely to die by suicide than the national average. Network founder Andy Stevens said: “Every year these figures increase and it is time something was done to halt this alarming rise.
“We lose more in construction to suicide compared to any other industry. “One suicide is one too many and 749 is just horrendous. “To inspire the next generation into our great industry, we have to get these figures down urgently.
We must start working together.” Experts have called for more support in the industry, where poor mental health is an “accident waiting to happen”. Sarah Baldry of Wysa, an AI-driven mental health chatbot service, said: “In the construction industry, addressing mental health isn’t just a moral imperative—it’s a strategic necessity.
“The statistics are stark reminders of the urgent need for change. “Poor mental health in the the construction industry is an accident waiting to happen.” Long hours, high levels of pressure and a lack of support are thought to contribute to the issue - though it is .
