Published on 03 September 2025
A new article published in Nature Mental Health by Dr Olivia Remes, mental health researcher at the University of Cambridge's Laing O'Rourke Centre, sheds light on the “silent crisis” of suicide within the global construction industry.
Dr Remes highlights stark statistics: in the UK, suicide risk among low-skilled male labourers – in particularly those employed in construction - is three times higher than the male national average; in Australia, rates are double those of men in other professions; and in the US, nearly one in five suicides occurs within the sector. Factors such as hazardous working conditions, bullying, stigma around mental health, and the industry’s high-pressure “boom and bust” cycles can be major contributors.
Despite efforts such as mental health awareness days and first aid training, Dr Remes argues that these initiatives need to better address the root cause: a harsh workplace culture. She points to successful models, including Australia’s MATES in Construction, a suicide prevention programme, which has been recognised by the World Health Organisation for its impact.
Dr Remes calls for a cultural shift: improving reporting systems, rewarding supportive behaviour, promoting psychological safety, and thinking about workplace policies that may need to be implemented, among other aspects. Without these deeper changes, she warns, suicide and poor mental health will continue to cast a long shadow over one of the world’s largest and most economically vital industries.
Read the article (subscription content).
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