By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – This week marks Construction Suicide Prevention Week. Advocates say there is a mental health crisis in the construction industry. Research finds construction workers in Arizona die by suicide at nearly three times the rate of workers in any other industry.
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The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports more than 227,000 people work in construction in Arizona. The industry is physically demanding, but experts say that is not always the toughest part of the job.
“When our work is potentially dangerous to ourselves and the people we’re working with, that has a physical toll, but it also has a mental toll,” said Stephanie Lemek, executive director of the Center for Construction Mental Health.
Lemek spent a decade working in the construction industry in human resources. She said clients opened up to her about their mental health struggles.
A found construction and extraction workers die at the highest rate of any industry tracked in the state.
According to the Center for Construction Research and Training, suicide rates for male construction workers are nearly double those of working men overall.
Lemek said the reasons include financial insecurity, dangerous conditions, compressed schedules and technical demands. She said 12-hour shifts on projects far from home add loneliness as a hazard.
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Overdose is also a major factor, according to Lemek.
“When individuals are injured on the job, often they’re prescribed painkillers and the prescription of painkillers that can be addictive are part of the reason we see this crisis,” Lemek said.
Lemek’s advice is to find something that helps you recharge, check in on your coworkers, and don’t stay silent.
Resources are available 24/7. People can call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or reach out to the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention.
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