Mates in Mind, one of the leading UK mental health charities, has called for a raise in awareness that suicide can be prevented at work
In the run-up to Suicide Prevention Day (10 September) and World Mental Health Day (10 October), Mates in Mind have called upon large organisations to be better for its workers.
They have cited statistics to urge awareness around the issue and inspire action.
Construction workers are at a higher risk
In 2022, 6,588 deaths were recorded as suicide. Four in five suicides were male, and suicide was the largest cause of death for men under 35.
However, only 6% of men and 4% of women that participated in a survey said they would discuss their mental health with their employer.
In 2020, construction workers were at a risk 3.7 times higher than the national average for suicide.
This can be attributed to the high pressures that the construction environment often has, from tight deadlines, long hours, time away from family, budget management, and more recently the pandemic and rising materials cost.
What results is an environment where it can be very difficult for workers to seek help with their mental health, should they be experiencing distressing thoughts or emotions.
Mates in Mind say employers can do more
Mates in Mind are advocating to create a culture of prevention.
What this means is larger organisations should support the smaller organisations within their supply chain more, as it’s often the smaller organisations that don’t have the resources to invest in suicide prevention.
The support of organisations that have the resources can make a huge difference for mental health in the work place.
Sam Downie, the managing director of Mates in Mind, said: “As family, friends, colleagues, community and employers we all have a role to play in trying to prevent someone reaching the point of crisis.
“For individuals, whilst everyone may exhibit different behaviours, or mask them altogether, if we learn to spot the signs of stress, depression and anxiety, we will know when to ask someone if they are okay. We recommend that you always ask twice as we often reply automatically to the question with, ‘yeah fine’.
“The second thing to learn is how to start a conversation about mental health and whether someone is feeling suicidal. This may seem daunting, but simply starting with, ‘are you okay?’ can potentially save a life.”
If you or someone you know is suffering, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK on 0800 689 5652.
You can also use the “BeAMate” text support service by texting “BeAMate” to 85258. Trained volunteers can help with issues including anxiety, stress, loneliness or depression and are available 24/7.
In a life-threatening emergency, always call 999.
