The construction industry is known for its physically demanding work, hyper-masculine “bro culture,” and high-risk environments. While much attention is often paid to the physical aspects of the work, a more pressing but less visible crisis looms: the mental health of construction workers.
Behind the hard hats and steel-toe boots, many workers are grappling with anxiety, depression, substance use and other mental health challenges that can have devastating consequences if left unaddressed.
The trades’ mental health crisis, by the numbers:
- The construction industry’s suicide rate is more than three times the national average: 53.2 suicides per 100,000 workers
- 83% of construction workers report experiencing mental health struggles
- Substance abuse rates, including opioid, cocaine and marijuana use, are nearly double the national average in the trades
- Since 2016, 30-50 per cent of all male opioid-related deaths have happened to men working in the trades
The silent struggle
Construction workers face a unique set of stressors that contribute to poor mental health outcomes: long hours, job insecurity, seasonal layoffs and a culture that often discourages vulnerability.
Unlike many professions, construction workers can go long periods without consistent employment. The financial instability caused by irregular work, along with the chronic pain many workers endure due to demanding physical tasks, can trigger anxiety and depression.
It’s a struggle Trevor Botkin knows all too well. Botkin spent his entire career in construction as a carpenter, foreman, and site superintendent in Western Canada. Today, he’s a tireless advocate for men struggling with addiction and mental health challenges in the trades.
Botkin knew the construction industry was for him when he secured his first job 30 years ago. “I was probably three hours into it, and I thought: these are my people, and this is where I belong,” he says. “It’s an industry that collects people who don’t belong elsewhere.”
But Botkin quickly turned to drugs and alcohol to cope with the stress and anxiety he experienced working in construction. Even as he moved up the industry ladder, Botkin suffered in silence for decades with substance use challenges, too scared to share his struggles for fear of being shunned by colleagues.
The BC native hit rock bottom in March 2019 when he nearly took his life. This traumatic experience inspired Botkin to channel his life experience toward helping his peers address the same challenges he faced for almost three decades.
Botkin is now the Strategic Lead for Trades at CMHF and the proud founder of Musterpoint Canada: a peer-led trades initiative being developed to address the skilled trades’ mental health crisis.
“By training tradespeople with lived experience as peer supporters, we foster trust, reduce stigma and connect workers to recovery resources,” says Botkin. “It’s skilled tradespeople directly supporting other skilled tradespeople.”
Workplace culture and stigma
A major barrier to addressing mental health challenges in the trades is the pervasive culture of toughness. The industry is male-dominated, and traditional notions of masculinity—stoicism, self-reliance, and emotional suppression—are deeply embedded.
This culture often stigmatizes mental health struggles, viewing them as a sign of weakness rather than a legitimate health issue. Many workers feel they cannot show vulnerability for fear of losing respect, being labelled unreliable or even jeopardizing their careers. This reluctance to speak up means that issues often go unnoticed until they reach a crisis point.
Cameron Grunbaum is a clinical counsellor and owner of Iron Tree Counselling based in Langley, British Columbia. Grunbaum specializes in providing counselling services to construction workers across several practice areas like complex trauma, substance use, emotional dysregulation and stress management.
“The hyper-masculine norms of the construction industry contribute greatly to the variety of mental health and addiction issues workers in the trades face,” says Grunbaum.
“The ‘act now think later’ culture pressures men to carry out tasks they aren’t trained for in dangerous environments. The physical dangers in the trades are real and acutely present: every day, all the time. You need a certain vigilance just to be safe.”
Factors causing the mental health crisis
In a male-dominated industry where toughness and strength are valued, mental health conditions or seeking help are often seen as a personal weakness.
- Shame and fear of judgment
- Chronic pain
- Seasonal and cyclical work contributing to family and financial strain
- High stress and deadline-driven work
- Long work hours, including the potential for a large volume of overtime, leading to fatigue
- Separation of family when working away from home
The ultimate coping mechanism: substance use
There are several reasons why construction workers are more affected by overdoses and substance-related harms than men in other professions:
- Trades work is physically demanding and stressful. It’s common for workers to celebrate or relax after an exhausting day by using substances like drugs and alcohol.
- Since injury and pain are common in the trades, workers often use substances to cope with the pain. Pain relief is one of the ways workers get introduced to opioids.
- Workers are often discouraged from talking about their addiction and mental health challenges. This makes them less likely to ask for help when they need it.
“The physical exhaustion that construction workers experience takes an immense toll,” says Botkin. “I compare it to being a professional athlete. There is a lot of pressure along with a ‘work hard play hard’ culture that inevitably leads to drug use,” says Botkin.
Grunbaum says there is an industry expectation that workers put in overtime despite the physical or mental duress they’re under. He says there is immense pressure to work extra-long hours: often 12 hours a day, six days a week.
“It’s unsurprising that many workers turn to drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism in these labour-intensive ‘do or die’ environments,” says Grunbaum.
The reliance on an often toxic drug supply doesn’t just impact individual health, but also compromises job site safety. Impaired judgment, reduced reaction times, and overdoses lead to accidents that put coworkers at risk.
One-on-one peer support services: a critical tool
Botkin says that training workers and supervisors to recognize signs of distress on job sites is an important first step to addressing the mental health crisis in the trades. He says open discussions about mental health, the use of support services and confidential counselling can help reduce stigma.
One-on-one peer support services are a critical tool to help men set the wheels in motion toward a sustainable recovery,” says Botkin. “It’s like we’re yelling beyond the construction fence: we have help here…we have help here! It’s about getting down into the mud with men who are in those boots, grappling with addiction and mental health challenges.”
Driving change from within
Employers and unions can play a leading role in improving mental health outcomes for construction workers. Companies are increasingly recognizing the importance of mental wellness programs, but progress across the industry is uneven.
Unions can also be powerful advocates for mental health, using their influence to demand better working conditions, job security and access to healthcare. On a broader scale, policy change is needed to address systemic issues that affect worker mental health. Governments and industry bodies must collaborate to ensure that mental health is treated with the same urgency as physical safety.
What workers and leadership can do
Botkin shares a clear message for workers struggling with their mental health. “Have the courage to ask for help and do something different.”
“There is help out there: open your mind and your heart to it. By asking for help, you’re not just helping yourself – you’re helping someone else. Every time you open up to someone, you’re giving them permission to speak to you in a real way.”
Botkin’s message to management is equally succinct. “Start a public conversation around the toll the addictions and mental health crisis is taking on the industry. But the construction industry veteran is optimistic about the future of mental health in the trades because of the strides being made by younger workers.
“Young people are the future of the trades: they’re forward-looking on mental health issues. And they’re determined to change the industry for the better,” says Botkin.
What kind of support would you like to see for people working in the trades? We’re keen to learn more about how to support and would love to hear your insights in the comments below.
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