Did you know? May is National Mental Health Month! Mental health includes a person’s psychological, emotional, and social well-being. It often determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental health, just like physical health, affects everyone!
Mental health is especially important in the construction industry; concerns can arise from a variety of factors, including long work hours, high-pressure work environments, and physically demanding work. According to a survey by the Center for Construction Research and Training, 1 in 5 construction workers reported experiencing symptoms of depression. This is why it’s incredibly important to promote mental health and #BreakTheStigma of talking about mental health within the industry.
Last May, ViaSun celebrated Mental Health Month by spreading awareness and sharing resources to help #BreakTheStigma surrounding mental health in construction. We visited our jobsites and handed out resource cards, lime popsicles, and bright green #BreakTheStigma hats. We received great feedback from our employee owners, as well as a few words of appreciation for starting this conversation.
For Mental Health Month this year, we ‘re providing more information about how to recognize and prevent mental health crises. We introduced a Mental Health Bingo game, inspired by PositivePsychology.com, to encourage our employees to try different mental health management strategies. These strategies are quick and can be completed during a lunch break, or simply enjoyed for fun. 😊
Throughout the month, we shared both general and ViaSun-specific resources and open up the conversation about mental health to help our people take action both at work and in their personal lives. By providing support and promoting mental health practices, we hope to create a culture of understanding and support for our employees' mental health needs.
