Research, commissioned for Mental Health Awareness Week and conducted by The Leadership Factor, surveyed 500 UK tradespeople in April 2021

Nearly half (49%) of UK tradespeople experience mental health problems due to work-related stress issues, a new study commissioned by UK’s largest supplier of specialist ironmongery, IronMongeryDirect, has found.

The research, commissioned for Mental Health Awareness Week and conducted by The Leadership Factor, surveyed 500 UK tradespeople in April 2021. The specialist supplier, in partnership with UK mental health charity Mind, found approximately 58% of respondents experience some form of mental health problem, such as stress, anxiety or depression, at least once a week.

Of those problems, money worries were reported to be the biggest cause of stress and anxiety, other issues, such as tensions with customers (31%) and suppliers (29%), were also causes of concern for tradespeople.

Top 10 causes of stress in tradespeople

Source - IronMongeryDirect

The trade specialist also found many individuals deal with such issues on a regular basis, with 28% experiencing mental health issues every day, 58% reporting symptoms every week and 91% experience work-related stress at least once a month.

Some tradespeople are more likely to experience mental health issues than others. Female tradespeople (57%), for example, are significantly more prone to conditions than men (41%).

Regarding age, workers who are between 45 and 54 years old are the most likely to face challenges, with 58% reporting some form of mental health issue. However, it is younger tradespeople (25-34) who face such conditions most often, with 32% of that age group struggling daily.

Emma Mamo, Head of Workspace Wellbeing at Mind, said:

“Because men generally find it more difficult to talk about how they’re feeling, in male-dominated industries such as construction, employees are often less willing and able to open up about their mental health and ask for support.”

By trade, bricklayers are the most likely tradespeople to experience problems, with 73% of respondents admitting symptoms and tensions with business partners (50%) being their main cause of anxiety.

62% of joiners reported issues, primarily worry about finances and supplier issues. Plasterers are among the least likely to suffer from mental health problems (22%), they are the most worried about job security, with 50% admitting they are concerned about the stability of their employment.

Tradespeople experiencing mental health issues, by trade

Source – IronMongeryDirect

To help break this stigma, IronMongeryDirect is recommending trades people check in on their colleagues, employees, friends and family and ask how they are, and to do this regularly to show support and open up the conversation.

They also say employers should “make an effort” to invest in mental health training to know what signs to look for and how to help anyone who needs support and recommends the use of mental health charities.

Marco Verdonkschot, Managing Director at IronMongeryDirect, said:

“It’s vital for the stigma of mental health to be removed from the industry, and whilst we understand it can be difficult to open up, we encourage all tradespeople to talk about their problems.”

Greater risk of suicide

In 2016, 454 trades people committed suicide. To mark Mental Health Awareness Week 2021, 454 hard hats were laid out to signify each life lost to mental health issues in the industry.

Other sectors are considering solutions such as mental health first aiders or buddies who would be responsible for looking out for signs of stress and offer support that could be adopted by the trades industry.

Mandy Plues, Founder, Yorkshire Mental Health First Aid, and Includability Ambassador, said:

“This research paints a devastating picture of the mental health crisis amongst our trades people in the UK. I agree that one of the most effective ways to break down the stigma is to talk about mental health - everyone has mental health after all! Training in mental health first aid is about knowing how to start a conversation about mental health, what signs to look for and where to signpost to and I would strongly encourage companies to consider that as part of their mental health strategy. If it helps to save one life, isn’t it worth doing?”

Results compared to 2020 figures

The results are comparable to research survey conducted by Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) in 2020. In response to last year’s survey, the construction contractor, Wates, announced during Mental Health Awareness Week that they will offer 4,000 employees training to help them build personal resilience to boost their mental health and wellbeing.

They say the training will provide staff with strategies to improve their personal resilience to help manage pressures and stress at both work and home. The training will comprise of workshops and online learning resources, and a six-week follow up on every participant.

Kelly Osborne, Head of Health and Wellbeing at Wates, said,

“Male construction workers are nearly three times more likely than others to take their own life, with one suicide every day. This has been an incredibly tough year for so many of our colleagues, and we want to support everyone, so they feel better equipped to manage setbacks and stress in their lives confidently and effectively, and thereby help protect their mental health.”