Comment
GEOFF CRITTENDEN – CEO, Weld Australia
The impact of COVID-19 unemployment on tradies’ mental health – it’s OK not to be OK Of all manufacturing companies, 87 per cent are classified as SMEs.
M
ENTAL health issues, like depression and anxiety, are incredibly common in Australia. In fact, Australia has the second highest prevalence of depressive disorders globally. Approximately 15 per cent of Australians will experience depression in their lifetime, and another 26 per cent will experience an anxiety condition. While men are less likely than females to experience depression and anxiety, men are three times more likely to die by suicide than women. Of the 3,046 suicide deaths across Australia in 2018, 76 per cent were male. To put this into perspective, this means that the number of men who die by suicide in Australia every year is nearly double the national road toll. The risk of suicide in men also increases with age: suicide is the second leading cause of death
8 JULY 2020 Manufacturers’ Monthly
among Australian men aged 45-54 years and in Australia, suicide is now the number one killer of men under 44 years of age.
Mental health and tradies Workers in construction and other trades – including welding – are even more at risk. Tradies are 70 per cent more likely to commit suicide than their behind-thedesk counterparts. This means that every second day an Australian tradesman takes their own life. With 25.1 per cent of construction workers having experienced mental illness over the last 12 months (compared to 18 per cent for all Australia men), tradies are six times more likely to die from suicide than workplace accidents. Despite these alarming statistics, mental health definitely isn’t something that tradies talk about at smoko or after knocking off.
An industry defined by pressure Tradesmen face a range of pressures due to the nature of their work: long hours, physically demanding labour and constant pressure to deliver. Construction workers and tradesmen are also exposed to a range of factors at a higher rate than usual, which have been shown to increase the risk of suicide, including: • Employment opportunities are closely tied to fluctuations in the national economy; this means that the industries in which tradesmen work have a highly casualised workforce (most tradies are sub-contractors, rather than full-time employees). Because of this, tradesmen are more likely to be exposed to job insecurity, and anxiety over business and financial management concerns, as well as debt – all risk factors for mental ill health. • Substance abuse and alcohol use; Australian construction workers
experience double the rate of “life-threatening drinking” when compared to the national average, and a drug use rate 10 per cent higher than the national average. • Family breakdown and lack of access to children; the median divorce rate in the construction industry sits at 6 per cent above the national average. In addition, the construction industry is known to be a key setting in which traditionally perceptions of masculinity remain. Men are expected to be tough, in control, autonomous and highly competent. Seeking help, or even admitting a need for help, violates these perceptions which, once again, can heighten the risk of suicide.
The impact of COVID-19 unemployment the mental health of tradies In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, forecasts indicate that Australia’s unemployment rate manmonthly.com.au
