Mental Health and Well-being in the Irish Construction Industry: A Preliminary Investigation into the Main Stressors

The construction industry is renowned as being masculine and competitive, due to its male-dominated and cutthroat nature, where mental health is often disregarded. Thankfully, in recent times, workers' mental health has started to become a priority to upper management, however, problems still exist. Therefore, this study aims to determine what are the main stressors leading to poor mental health, and what strategies can be implemented to tackle the issue, in the Irish construction industry. A mixed methods approach was undertaken, using five semi-structured individual interviews, and a questionnaire survey with professionals working in the Irish construction industry. The data was thematically analysed where emerging themes and topics were identified. Four main stressors were identified: long work and commute hours, poor work-life balance, unrealistic work goals and overload, and the ‘macho man’ culture and stigma preventing workers from speaking out. Three key strategies were identified: mental health training within the organisation, communication of clear work goals and objectives, and reduction of work hours and remote / flexible working. Overall, the key contribution of this study emphasises that there are many stressors leading to poor mental health, however, key strategies can be incorporated to counteract these issues across the Irish construction industry.