The built environment’s high prevalence of mental health issues needs government to deliver a properly funded, sector-focused strategy, argues Silvia Navarro.
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These findings suggest that despite numerous initiatives and significant efforts to improve both awareness of, and how businesses and individuals respond to, the telltale signs of mental health deterioration, there’s still plenty of work to be done.
Smaller businesses (SMEs) and the self-employed appear most affected. There are multiple reasons why this may be so: fewer resources to establish mental health initiatives and tight margins all contribute significantly to higher stress levels within this cohort.
For larger firms, the evidence is more encouraging. There’s been a positive uplift in support, with an increase in trained Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs), rising knowledge of awareness weeks, up from 26% in 2020 to 77% in 2025, and improved access to confidential helplines, according to MHFA England. This is a positive development and illustrates that all businesses, including SMES, are benefiting from easier access to support services.
Learning to spot the early signs
Actively investigating poor mental health indicators can also help identify whether the issue is prevalent in the workplace. High staff churn or absenteeism, employees not taking their full holiday entitlement, poor productivity and high levels of health and safety incidents all point to potential problems. Employers need to closely monitor these indicators and take positive action to reduce them.
Implementing in-work support policies to counter poor mental health is recommended. The UK government’s Mental Health at Work Commitment; a framework of six core standards, developed in conjunction with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), is a good place to start. These comprise:
- prioritise workplace mental health by developing and delivering a systematic programme of activity;
- ensure workplace culture drives positive mental health outcomes;
- promote an open culture around mental health issues;
- increase operational confidence and capability;
- provide mental health tools and support;
- increase transparency through internal and external reporting.
Employers can incorporate many of the suggestions above into current activities. Toolbox talks, for instance, could be scheduled for World Mental Health Day and focus on encouraging awareness. Businesses can also signpost where further help can be found.
Additionally, companies can reach out to external organisations, such as Mates in Mind or Samaritans, to deliver mental health-focused workforce training. It’s also worth considering directing employees to the wealth of online resources, such as those provided by MIND, to help raise awareness of tools and techniques to improve mental wellbeing.
Increasing funding and implementing lessons learned
However, it’s clear that the government has a role to play alongside employers. While there have been positive noises around mental health issues, a more joined-up approach can make a very positive impact.
Updating the government’s own suicide prevention strategy and incorporating some of the lessons learned from Australia’s experience of unifying disparate departments, through frameworks like its National Suicide Prevention Strategy (NSPS). This framework emphasises the importance of early mental health intervention and community-based support, and delivering better outcomes in the UK would be a positive first step.
Given the built environment’s high prevalence of mental health issues, a properly funded, sector-focused strategy, formulated alongside industry stakeholders, to improve mental wellbeing would also be welcomed.
Silvia Navarro is head of marketing and communications at the National Federation of Demolition Contractors
