Details:

Personal Author:
Mehany, Mohammed S. Hashem M. ; Fisher, Gwenith G. ; Thiese, Matt ; Kumar, Shantanu
Mehany, Mohammed S. Hashem M. ; Fisher, Gwenith G. ; Thiese, Matt ; Kumar, Shantanu Less -
Corporate Authors:
Colorado State University. ; CPWR--The Center for Construction Research and Training. ; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Colorado State University. ; CPWR--The Center for Construction Research and Training. ; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Less -
Description:
"Poor mental health has a significant negative impact on the US economy, costing $193.2 billion annually, and increasing the risk of suicide. There are more than ten million construction workers in the United States, and prior research has shown that their mental health is often neglected, making them more susceptible to substance misuse, drug overdose, and suicide than workers in other industries. We undertook the present study to review the literature about mental health of construction workers, conduct a survey to assess and identify mental health issues/concerns among construction workers, and develop recommended organizational and individual worker-level responses for mental health issues. Our literature review indicated that 10.7% of the world's population is affected by at least one type of mental health disorder, which increases the risk of suicide and has costly consequences for workers, families, and employers. Furthermore, the review helped to comprehensively define mental health, inform the most appropriate measures for assessing mental health in a work context, and identify how organizations and societies have studied and addressed mental health globally. After the literature review, the research team conducted a survey of a heterogeneous sample of construction workers in the U.S. to assess their mental health and well-being, with 143 workers completing the survey. Workers in the study reported indicators of poor mental health at a higher rate than previous studies. Work-related stress was strongly associated with various indicators of poor mental health, including anxiety, depression, and number of days of poor mental health. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to address specific work-related stressors and alleviate the strains associated with poor mental health. One potential intervention identified is leadership training, which operates at an organizational level and so can have a broad impact. Leadership can shape the organizational culture, establish supportive policies and procedures, and improve communication about mental health. Leadership training has been shown to increase leaders' support for employees' mental health, encourage resource utilization, and enhance overall employee well-being. The findings underscore the value of focusing on leadership and organizational change efforts to promote worker mental health and well-being in the construction industry." - NIOSHTIC-2

NIOSHTIC no. 20069226

© 2024.This research was funded by the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) grant U60OH009762. The findings and conclusions in this manuscript, as well as the resources and products described, are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of NIOSH.

Report # 21-3-PS

SS2023_Construction-Worker-Mental-Health-Assessment.pdf


Subjects:
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Burnout, Professional Construction Industry Health Status Mental Health Workplace/psychology
Document Type:
Report
Funding:
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) grant U60OH009762
Collection(s):
Stephen B. Thacker CDC Library collection
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:2de12d13057fe7b3da82e698b8c1684e82008855145e5b349ecb19a9254e9db0
Download URL:
https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/148095/cdc_148095_DS1.pdf
File Type:

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