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How Construction Leaders Can Reduce the Stigma of Mental Health Training

By Caleb Abshere

Top 5 Factors Driving Mental Health Strain in Construction
    Some of the most dangerous hazards in construction can’t be seen, but they shape the way workers show up every day.
    Long Hours: Shifts bleed into nights and weekends, wearing down rest and leaving little space to recover before the next day begins.
    Time Away from Family: Projects pull crews across miles and months, often keeping them away from birthdays, milestones and the daily routines that ground life outside of work.
    Physical Demands: Repetitive strain and on-the-job injuries take a toll that goes beyond the physical, leading to isolation, frustration and a sense of being left behind.
    Job Insecurity: When one project ends, the uncertainty of “what’s next” fuels anxiety and financial strain, especially for workers supporting families.
    High-Risk Culture: The industry’s high-pressure, results-driven environment feeds a “push through at all costs” mindset that can have negative consequences.
    Recognizing the weight workers carry is only the start. Lasting change comes when mental health support becomes part of everyday culture on the jobsite. Here’s how to make that happen.

Make Mental Health Part of Daily Safety Talks
    Mental health initiatives are often treated like add-ons — something rolled out during awareness months or folded into a once-a-year meeting. But stigma breaks down through repetition. The more often something is named, the less power silence has over it.
    Psychologists call this “normalization” — exposure that turns the uncomfortable into the expected.
    Construction has always understood this principle, even if it wasn’t called by name. Every safety habit now taken for granted, from wearing hard hats to using fall protection, was once new or even resisted until constant repetition made it second nature.
    On a jobsite, that might mean weaving reminders about stress and support into toolbox talks, right alongside fall protection and personal protective equipment. Or it could mean the superintendent asking a second time if a worker is really doing okay.

Remove Barriers with Discreet Digital Tools
    Access and perception remain two of the toughest hurdles to mental health care. In a culture that prides itself on keeping things straightforward, flashy campaigns rarely stick. What makes the difference are options that feel discreet, comfortable and easy to reach.
    Mobile telehealth apps don’t erase every barrier, but they do open another option. With the ability to connect directly to licensed therapists through calls or video sessions, support is available right from a phone.
    QR codes on jobsite boxes and other easily accessible places can complement telehealth as a low-profile way to guide workers to these resources. A quick scan takes someone straight to information or tools without the pressure of asking out loud, making it easier to seek help privately and without worry of being noticed.
    When one person feels safe enough to take that step, it often encourages the next, and then another, until those choices build into a culture that openly supports mental health.

Equip Leaders to Guide Workers Toward Help
    Real change starts at the top. When owners, executives and site leaders commit to mental health training, it signals that well-being is a priority for everyone.
    Mental health training helps leaders recognize the subtle signals — withdrawal from the crew, unusual irritability, repeated tardiness or lapses in focus — that often precede bigger problems. These sessions walk through those warning signs and provide action plans leaders can lean on to guide workers toward the right resources. One widely used framework is ALGEE:

    A – Approach and assess for risk of suicide or harm.
    L – Listen nonjudgmentally.
    G – Give reassurance and information.
    E – Encourage appropriate professional help.
    E – Encourage self-help and other support strategies.

Because so much is packed into a single course, refreshers at the one-year mark or quarterly are recommended to keep the knowledge fresh and leaders confident in their response. Just as CPR empowers someone to act in a medical emergency, mental health training prepares leaders to step in early, reduce harm and open the door to support.

Create Peer Networks Workers Trust
    Not every worker feels comfortable going to a supervisor, HR or even an app. Peer networks fill that gap. These trained volunteers on the crew listen and guide co-workers toward resources when needed, and they’re often the people others already trust on the jobsite.
    What makes peer networks powerful is their accessibility. Talking with someone in the same hard hat and work boots feels safer, less formal and free from fears of judgment or job security.
    In practice, peer networks operate much like safety committees. Volunteers receive training, are identified within crews and remain visible through word of mouth. They don’t replace professional care, but they bridge the gap between brushing off real issues and seeking help.
    Some companies are even creating dedicated roles to oversee this communication, since HR involvement alone can feel intimidating. Having a trusted peer advocate on site makes the path to support far more approachable.
    Construction has never backed down from tough challenges. Treating mental health with the same urgency as physical risks makes the industry safer, more efficient, and above all, more human.