Suicide Prevention
The construction industry has the highest number of suicides and the highest suicide rate of any industry. As such, it is an industry imperative for contractors, unions, project owners, and industry service providers to address suicide prevention in construction as a safety priority.
The mental well-being of a company’s workforce is equally as important as their physical well-being. If anyone is struggling with mental health issues, they may ignore all efforts of protection and could be a danger to themselves and others.
This is why CFMA has been deeply involved in suicide prevention since the first article on the topic, written by Cal Beyer and Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas, was published in CFMA Building Profits in 2015. Since the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention (CIASP) started as a CFMA task force in 2016, it has garnered support from contractors, unions, associations, and mental health organizations across the country.
As of July 16, 2022, The United States has a New Number for the Mental Health Hotline: 988 will be used to Support Those in Need!
Simple, and Easy to Remember
This is important for the following reasons:
· In 2020, there were 45,799 recorded suicides, up from 42,773 in 2014, according to the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
· There is an estimated 30% increase of suicides since 1999.
· Suicide is most often preventable. For every person who dies by suicide, an estimated 316 people seriously consider suicide.
Suicide is a growing concern in the United States, and we have tools to combat this issue. The 988 number is one of the tools that will be used in an attempt to reduce the rate of suicide. The mental health line will connect people with urgent health needs to trained National Prevention Lifeline counselors, giving people immediate help and will be able to guide them to continued care. This number will also be used to divert calls from 911. Other lifelines have proven to dispatch emergency services to only 2% of the calls, making it an effective way to help those in need and efficiently use resources.