Construction industry charity the Lighthouse Club is encouraging workers to talk to colleagues about their problems as part of a month-long campaign to tackle mental health issues.<\/p>\n
The charity\u2019s \u2018Talk to Us\u2019 initiative, which will run throughout July, asks construction workers to open up and share their struggles with friends, family and colleagues as a way of preventing more serious issues.<\/p>\n
\u201cTalking can make us feel vulnerable, but it shouldn\u2019t be seen as a sign of weakness,\u201d said Lighthouse Club chief executive Bill Hill.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know that all the work we are doing, together with [the] efforts of the industry, is helping to reduce the stigma of talking about feelings and problems,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Construction workers often work on contracts that take them away from home, said the charity, which can make them feel disconnected from their usual support system of family and friends.<\/p>\n
It also said that in a male-dominated industry (87 per cent male), employees can be less likely to talk about their mental health because of the stigma surrounding masculinity and asking for help.<\/p>\n
Although Hill said a spike in the number of calls received by its helpline indicated a positive shift in the industry, the campaign was looking to improve on these developments.<\/p>\n
The charity\u2019s current campaign, \u2018Help Inside the Hard Hat\u2019 aims to raise awareness of all the support available to companies and individuals, and it highlights the importance of reaching out.<\/p>\n
Construction News\u2019<\/em> recent Mind Matters survey<\/a> found that 53 per cent of the 1,230 respondents said they felt comfortable talking about their mental health with colleagues, which was a 38 per cent increase on the previous survey in 2019.<\/p>\n This week, a construction worker from Hinkley Point C reiterated the importance of opening up<\/a> and talking, after a Daily Mail<\/em> article made light of the progress that workers were making in sharing their feelings.<\/p>\n