A new report from the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) reveals a significant increase in the availability of mental health support for construction workers across the UK. However, the findings also expose a concerning undercurrent of persistent mental health challenges, demanding a more profound and impactful response from both industry leaders and the government.
The CIOB’s latest research, Understanding Mental Health in the Built Environment 2025, sheds light on the progress made in providing mental health resources within the construction sector. Encouragingly, over three-quarters of workers* reported being actively encouraged to participate in mental health awareness initiatives, particularly during Mental Health Awareness Week (W/C 12 May 2025). Furthermore, more than half of the surveyed workforce now has access to mental health first aiders at their place of work, marking a positive step forward.
“Fifty-four per cent of people we spoke to told us they have mental health first aiders available at their place of work, up from 35 per cent in 2020.”
Alarming Data Underscores the Depth of the Problem
Despite this increased provision of support, the report unveils deeply concerning statistics about the mental wellbeing of individuals working in construction. An alarming 28 per cent of survey respondents admitted to having experienced suicidal thoughts in the past year. This stark figure is compounded by the fact that nearly one in five (17 per cent) reported feeling unable to approach a colleague they suspected was struggling, highlighting a potential gap in fostering a supportive and open work environment.
Daisie Barnett, policy development manager at CIOB and author of the report, offered her perspective on these complex findings. “This survey follows a similar report CIOB published in 2020, just before the Covid-19 pandemic. We were interested to see how the industry has responded, particularly in the wake of the pandemic and the data gives us mixed results. We know working in construction is not without its physical and mental challenges, so it is incredibly encouraging to see the increase in support available to the workforce. Fifty-four per cent of people we spoke to told us they have mental health first aiders available at their place of work, up from 35 per cent in 2020, more than a third (35 per cent) said they now have scheduled 1:1 meetings with their managers and 77 per cent have been encouraged to get involved with awareness events.”
The report further details the significant prevalence of daily stress (24 per cent) and daily fatigue (20 per cent) among construction workers, with over a quarter having experienced suicidal thoughts at least once in the past year.
“Looking at the data, nearly one in four people (24 per cent) working in the industry have experienced stress daily over the past year.”
Barnett emphasised the urgent need for more impactful strategies. “In an ideal world, nobody working in the industry would experience any mental wellbeing concerns at all. While that vision might be slightly unrealistic, CIOB believes there is still far more the industry and government can do to support the people working in the construction sector.”
CIOB’s Recommendations for Meaningful Change
The CIOB has put forth a series of actionable recommendations for both companies and the UK government:
For Companies:
- “Firstly, we would like to see more company leaders commit their business to the Mental Health at Work Commitment, which is a simple framework that builds off the Thriving at Work standards.”
- “More companies need to mandate monthly 1-1 check-in meetings between managers and their direct reports that focus on mental wellbeing, fatigue management plans, and induction processes that promote integration and the importance of wellbeing to new staff.”
- “Managers need better training in identifying and managing poor mental health. Even for micro businesses, there are free webinars online to help people better equip themselves with an understanding of mental health issues.”
For the UK Government:
- Reducing the financial stress on small businesses by reviewing the Fair Payment Code and considering making it mandatory for large contractors.
- Updating the Suicide Prevention Strategy for England, drawing on the experience of successful strategies like Australia’s, and setting measurable targets.
- Ensuring its Men’s Health Strategy has sufficient focus on mental health in high-risk sectors such as construction to ensure initiatives are appropriate and achieve the intended outcomes.
“Nearly one in five (17 per cent) also revealed they do not have the confidence to approach a colleague they think might be struggling.”
The CIOB’s report has garnered support from Mates in Mind, a leading charity addressing mental health stigma. Sam Downie, Managing Director, stated, “We know that training is a crucial step in building positive mental health in and through work, in order to embed a proactive culture of prevention. Educating all employees and workers across your supply chain to spot the signs of mental ill-health, have the confidence to start a conversation about it and be able to signpost further support, is crucial. It is through normalising conversations about mental health, that we are able to address the stigma that surrounds it, and it is education, and practice of course, that gives people the confidence to start those important conversations. In addition, for those in management positions, it is also important to know how and when to assess and mitigate the risk of stress. Even though employers have a legal duty of care to protect workers from stress at work by doing a risk assessment and acting on it, almost 70 per cent of respondents in our survey, said that their line managers would not know how to undertake stress risk assessments or understand when they may be necessary.”
Resources for individuals seeking mental health support include the Samaritans (www.samaritans.org or call 111 in the UK) and the CIOB Assist fund for members.
*According to a survey of 865 people working in the construction industry. Of those respondents, 753 were from the UK.