Keeping mentally healthy

By - , Build 180

Life is stressful for many people at present, and it can be a struggle to remain upbeat. If you find the situation getting on top of you, there are useful resources, both online and at the end of the phone line, that can help.

IN THIS TIME OF ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY and stress, it’s easy to put mental health at the bottom of your list. Paying the bills and keeping your business and your team afloat will be top of mind for many of us right now as we navigate these uncharted waters.

The statistics are bleak

It’s at times like these that we need to be looking after ourselves and our mates. The statistics are bleak.

Research conducted by Site Safe (see BRANZ External Research Report ER40 Suicide in New Zealand’s construction industry workforce) shows that work-related factors such as the stress of running a business contributed to nearly a third of suicides in construction between 2007 and 2017. Job uncertainty was a contributing factor in one in eight suicides.

Research in Australia shows that economic downturns such as the global financial crisis (GFC) can increase the disparities in occupational suicide rates. Suicide rates in unskilled workers such as labourers increased from three to six times greater than the rates in the highest-class group or four-fold among technical and trade workers.

Another Australian study showed labourers had much higher suicide rates during the GFC compared to higher-skilled occupations.

In New Zealand, suicide prevention organisation MATES in Construction NZ says it has already noticed an increase in people seeking help, particularly workers feeling anxious due to uncertainty about whether they will be made redundant.

This drives home a sobering fact – tough times can put not only our livelihoods but also our mental wellbeing at risk. If you, a mate or anyone you know is struggling, now’s the time to speak up and have that conversation with your workmate or pick up the phone and ask for help.

Where to get help

If you’re not sure where to go, organisations like Site Safe, MATES in Construction and the Mental Health Foundation are a good place to start. The Site Safe website has a free Mental Health Pocket Guide containing practical tips on how to start a conversation around mental health.

MATES in Construction NZ is a great resource for the industry, with programmes designed specifically to enable workers in the industry to support each other.

The MATES team builds an on-site community of team-mates equipped to connect each other to the help they need. It’s about teaching workers how to look after their mates and empowering them to ask for help.

MATES is now working with businesses on how they can improve communication with staff and has released an online resource aimed at helping those in the industry cope during tough times. See Get help at www.mates.net.nz.

Another great resource is the Mental Health Foundation’s guide for workplace leaders on wellbeing at work during the COVID-19 pandemic (see www.mentalhealth.org.nz).

This looks at common causes of stress and the impact of COVID-19 on mental health. The Foundation’s Open Minds resources are also full of useful information to equip employers and managers with the skills to have conversations about mental health.

Research into mental health in the industry

Site Safe is working to improve understanding of these issues by supporting Massey University’s research into how construction workers seek help for mental health issues. Initial results from this study are expected next year, with the end goal of providing practical tips on improving mental health in the construction industry.

Site Safe is also supporting research into how stress affects the behaviour and health of workers in the construction industry and how it influences their decision making. Findings from this Massey research initiative are expected later this year.

Call someone

If you need to talk to someone over the phone, dial into one of these:

  • Free call or text any time for support from a counsellor at the Mental Health Foundation – 1737.
  • MATES in Construction – 0800 111 315.
  • Lifeline – 0800 543 354 (0800 LIFELINE)
  • Youthline – 0800 376 633, free text 234 or email [email protected] for online chat.
  • Samaritans – 0800 726 666.

For more

See www.sitesafe.org.nz.

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