Survey Provides Insights Into Mental Health Challenges in Construction

 

Nearly two-thirds of construction workers have experienced anxiety or depression in the last 12 months—64% compared to 54% in 2024—according to a mental health survey conducted by St. Louis-based contractor Clayco. Reporting or talking about those struggles is still a challenge for workers who fear they will be treated differently on the job, it also finds.

For the second year in a row, Clayco—using a third-party research group— surveyed more than 1,000 construction workers in the U.S. on issues related to mental health and, for the first time, also polled more than 1,000 construction industry executives and decision makers, with 48% indicating they had also experienced anxiety or depression in the last year.

Clayco is collecting data about mental health challenges because “these are challenges that tend to permeate our industry,” said Dan Lester, Clayco’s vice president of field culture and inclusion.

For every 100,000 male construction workers, 56 died by suicide in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Construction workers are seven times more likely to die of an opioid overdose than workers in other industries, adds Darcy Gruttadaro, chief innovation officer for the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI), which is partnering with Clayco to find ways to address mental health struggles in construction.

The survey showed that reporting mental health issues continues to be a challenge with nearly half (45%) of construction workers saying they would feel ashamed to talk about their mental health, addiction or suicidal thoughts with their co-workers, a 6% increase over 2024.

It also revealed that 37% of construction workers say they have been discriminated against at work when they’ve talked about their mental health issues, while a significant number of executives admitted that workers are likely to be treated differently for seeking mental health services. Twenty-one percent of executives said workers would be less likely to be assigned important tasks if they reported a mental health challenge while 30% said those workers would be more closely monitored.

More than a quarter (28%) of construction workers say they have experienced substance use disorders or challenges with other forms of addictive behavior within the last 12 months, which is one percentage point lower than in 2024. (29%).

More than one in three (34%) of construction executives admit they have had a substance use disorder or experienced challenges with other forms of addictive behavior in the last 12 months.

Nearly six in ten (58%) of construction workers admit they have misused or overused at least one substance to cope with their mental health within the past 12 months, which is 11% higher than reported in 2024.

Construction workers cited physical demands of the work (47% in 2025, compared to 42% in 2024), poor work-life balance (42% in 2025, 36% in 2024) and tight deadlines to complete projects (41% in 2025, 35% in 2024) as the main causes of distress on the job.

More than a third (36%) of construction workers said they have missed work due to mental health concerns within the past 12 months, 4% higher than in 2024.

Clayco’s partnership with NAMI is aimed at combatting the stigma surrounding mental health in the industry, increasing access to treatment and educating workers, managers and executives. Clayco is providing data from its studies while NAMI is contributing expertise in mental illness, treatment options, and community resources.

Silence should not be an option when addressing mental health challenges, Gruttadaro says.

“Asking someone if they may be at risk of self-harm is absolutely the right thing to do,” she said. “What really saves lies is peer support.”

To stem the loss of life due to suicide or addition, she says leadership needs to make mental health a visible priority.

“Even if you have to start small, keep chipping away and you will see amazing ROI,” she said. “It’s not just nice to have, it’s a business imperative.”

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