KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Every September, groups all over the world raise awareness about suicide during National Suicide Prevention Month.
This week, a Kansas City-area group wants to bring attention to Construction Suicide Prevention.
Construction workers are five times more likely to die by suicide than any workplace injury.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported construction has the second-highest number of suicides in any field, just after mining.
Since 2020, volunteers in the field have come together to raise awareness.
“We wanted to provide tools and resources that made it super easy to start that conversation,” said Angela Crawford, Construction Suicide Prevention Week leader.
Crawford is an advocate for Construction Suicide Prevention from The Builders in Kansas City.
She said construction is a massive industry that places a big focus on physical health but not mental health.
“There's a pressure for people to show up even when they're not doing okay," Crawford said. "It's a male-dominated industry. Suicide rates are higher among men than among women, and so that demographic factor also increases the risk within construction."
The CDC also reported suicide in construction is more than four times higher than the general population. Crawford spoke about how that affects Kansas City.
“We have so many people who are employed in construction here in Kansas City. So even if people aren't working in the industry, they probably know someone who does, she said. "And I think that what we're trying to do is just let people know it's okay to ask for help, to make sure that people know that you're a safe space to have open conversations and honest conversations."
There’s a national stand down for Construction Suicide Prevention Week on Monday. Crawford said it’s a national moment of silence to remember those who have died by suicide and re-commit to preventing further deaths.
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