September 2025 has been designated National Suicide Awareness Month and the construction industry has responded with Construction Suicide Prevention Week to address the unique problems within the industry. Construction Dive reports that contractors across the country will kick off the week with a stand-down and a moment of silence in the afternoon. Other events throughout the week will incorporate education opportunities, such as toolbox talks and webinars, to raise awareness about the mental health crisis and its impact on construction.
Construction has one of the highest rates of suicide by occupation in the U.S., per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rates of men and women who work in construction and die by suicide are both higher than the U.S. national average. In 2021, the construction industry had the second-highest rate of suicide among its workers, surpassed only by mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction workers. Fifty-six out of every 100,000 male construction workers died by suicide in 2021, compared to 32 per 100,000 male workers in all industries. This rate was roughly four times the national average and almost six times the rate of all construction fatalities combined.
Industry groups are responding with a variety of initiatives to address this issue head on. The Associated General Contractors (AGC), for example, collaborated with industry leaders and mental health professionals to develop an educational program to equip supervisors with the knowledge and skills to identify and support struggling workers, care for themselves, and become a catalyst for change within their organizations. Individual contractors recognize the problem, and are taking action beyond the first full week in September. Construction Dive rounds up some of our recent coverage of mental health in the industry.