by Jas Saraw, VP Canada – Procore Technologies, Inc.

Every year on October 10th, we celebrate World Mental Health Day to raise awareness and mobilize efforts to support emotional and psychological well-being.

Historically, construction professionals have suffered from mental health related issues at a disproportionate rate. In fact, the construction industry ranks second highest in suicide rates among other major industries in the United States. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) speculates faraway jobsites that isolate workers from family and friends, high stress and a prevalence of substance and alcohol abuse in the industry are contributing factors that negatively impact mental health.

Fortunately, construction stakeholders around the world are working to address what’s been dubbed the ‘silent epidemic’. Companies like Scott Construction Group are educating their employees on critical mental health and wellness topics, ultimately helping to reduce the stigma around asking for help.

Scott Construction’s mental health journey officially kicked off in 2016 when an employee brought attention to how the opioid crisis was impacting the construction industry. At the time, many construction professionals didn’t know how to talk about the stressors they were experiencing, or have the tools to address their problems. As a result, the Scott Construction leadership team began discussions around formalizing a company-wide Mental Health Committee (MHC).

“We were lucky to already have that kind of culture, but we realized we needed to formalize it,” said Kim Deschaine, director of human resources at Scott Construction.​ “When we got the committee together, one of the first things we did was make sure we had buy-in from leaders and employees alike.”

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