Due to the pandemic, the last 18 months have been difficult for many, particularly from a mental health perspective. Lockdowns and social distancing severely disrupted daily life, and the consequences have been dire. For example, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported that 41.5% of adults in the United States struggled with anxiety or a depressive disorder since the beginning of the pandemic. And while overall suicide rates in the U.S. declined slightly during the pandemic, in 2020, the CDC found that men working in construction had a suicide rate that was about four times higher than the general population.
While these statistics are alarming, the construction industry has been at high risk for suicide and mental health issues since long before the pandemic. Indeed, according to the CDC, the construction industry is one of the most at-risk for suicides, due to a number of factors that include the uncertainty of seasonal work, demanding schedules, and workplace injuries that are sometimes treated with opioids. HVACR associations are responding to these mental health issues, and they want contractors and technicians to know that help is available.