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Construction is one of the most exciting industries in our country. It’s an industry that impacts every single person living within our communities in some way. Everything needs to be built, maintained, and in many cases, remodeled or rebuilt. It’s an industry with endless opportunities, where an entry-level worker can advance to a leadership position and even the “C” suite. It’s essential in every aspect of our lives. It can also be an industry with a dark side, a side that not many can see. That is the mental health burden on our friends, neighbors, brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers, the people we depend on and care about to come home safely every night; those people are our employees. They are our most valuable resource and most important tool, and it is time to shine a light on how the construction industry can better care for our employee’s mental well-being. As the Associated General Contractors enters our 100th year of service here in the state of Utah, we invite you to embrace the “Total Safety, A Guide to Resilience and Mental Fitness in the Construction Industry.” This document, a call to action, includes sobering facts, encouraging ideas, industry leader quotes, and a simple guide on how we as an industry can hit head-on the challenges we face regarding mental health in general and suicide prevention in particular. This guide will save lives and will have a positive effect on how the construction industry can address these very real and urgent challenges. Richard Thorn President and CEO Associated General Contractors of Utah
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The stigma and shame associated with mental health permeate all levels of society. Brain disorders should be seen the same as disorders of the kidney or the heart. Yet stigma causes inequity within health care systems and keeps policymakers from crafting laws free from discrimination. Stigma keeps people from seeking the treatment they need, robs them of their joy in life and well-being, and, in the worst case, results in ultimate harm. Mark Hyman Rapaport, MD CEO Huntsman Mental Health Institute
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