Bechtel Partners with American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
This May, during Mental Health Awareness month, Bechtel and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) have formed a multiyear partnership dedicated to preventing suicide in the construction industry.
The new partnership will reach 500,000 U.S. construction workers over five years through industry-specific programs and resources developed by Bechtel and AFSP. The $7 million, five-year commitment to AFSP to fund the effort is the largest-ever pledge received by AFSP and the largest single donation ever made by the Bechtel Group Foundation.
The construction industry has one of the highest suicide rates of any profession in the United States. Suicides among construction workers are four times higher than the general population and according to the CDC, the number of suicides in the industry is nearly five times higher than the number of lives lost in job site safety incidents.
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“These jobs can often be isolating and stressful and coping behaviors like alcohol and substance abuse can increase suicide risk,” says Robert Gebbia, CEO of AFSP. “We also know that construction is a male-dominated industry, and we continue to see a increase in suicide rates for males ages 25-44, and 65-74. It’s imperative we take action to help prevent suicide among workers in this industry.”
A major component of the partnership is to design industry-specific programs to provide resources, and assistance to workers who actively need it. According to Gebbia, Bechtel and AFSP are in the beginning stages of that process.
“One of the programs that may be developed in the future is a customized confidential screening program,” he says. “We’ve seen it work with veterans, law enforcement and on college campuses through AFSP’s Interactive Screening Program (ISP), so we think a tailored version for this specific workforce could also work.
“We know conversations around mental health and suicide can be difficult. We also know that information, training, and resources can educate workers on how to initiate and engage in open, honest conversations that can help. The goal is to provide workers at all levels with these resources so that any person on the ground at a job site is equipped to identify and help those who are struggling. By focusing on education and training we can begin to shift the culture from resisting help-seeking to encouraging help-seeking, so workers get the help they need, when they need it.”
According to Gebbia, it is imperative that leaders in the construction industry incorporate suicide prevention into their culture.
“Workers understand the importance of protective gear because they’re trained on it and understand the need to be physically safe,” he says. “The same thing can be done with taking care of one’s mental health. Once it’s accepted as standard practice, it is our hope that one day mental health will be viewed with the same importance as physical health.”
About the Author
Harlee Hewitt
Harlee is a former associate editor for Construction Equipment.