Preventing Suicide and Promoting Mental Health in Construction Workers
Bradley Evanoff
Washington University in St. Louis
[email protected]
Abstract:
Construction workers have high rates of mental health disorders, including one of the highest suicide rates of any occupation. Because of the strong need for evidence-based interventions that can be implemented throughout the industry’s challenging culture and organization, this project will adapt, implement, evaluate, and disseminate an existing suicide prevention and mental health program (the Australian “MATES in Construction”) in the US construction industry. It will also build on mental health efforts the research team has successfully implemented with construction partners. In this project, the team will work with regional stakeholders, including leaders of contractor associations, contractors, and union health benefit plans to adapt MATES, then recruit contractors to implement the adapted intervention. The researchers will evaluate the efficacy of the intervention in changing awareness of suicide and mental health and attitudes around help-seeking and help-offering. The project’s final element will be to develop scalable pathways to disseminate the intervention through construction companies, unions, and professional organizations.