Member Mental Health and Wellbeing

NAHB has launched an effort focused on mental wellbeing in the construction industry with an emphasis on helping association members support healthy work environments and be more proactive in looking at their own health and wellness.

Construction workers are particularly susceptible to mental health issues and suicide. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated mental health issues across the country.

NAHB is looking to change the culture in the construction industry around mental health awareness by providing resources specifically tailored to construction workers, managers, developers and business owners.

NAHB’s mental health and wellbeing initiative is financially supported by the ASAE Research Foundation and the Job-Site Safety Institute.

NAHB partnered with leading businesses, advocates and trade groups from across the country to support the first-ever Mental Health Action Day on May 20, 2021, which aimed to turn mental health awareness into action.

Free Tools to Identify and Understand Issues

NAHB has partnered with leading experts to develop tools especially for members to identify and learn more about mental health and addiction issues:

Toolbox Talks and Resources for the Jobsite

NAHB’s partner, Mindwise Innovations, has created toolbox talks specifically for home builders to facilitate conversations about mental health. McCarthy Building, one of the largest commercial builders in the U.S., also provided two toolbox talks and the poster to the right:

• NAHB/Mindwise Mental Health Toolbox Talk
• How to Help in a Crisis Toolbox Talk
• The Importance of Sleep Toolbox Talk
• The Importance of Safety, Predictability, and Control
• Heal for the Holidays
• Mental Health Toolbox Talk
• Suicide Prevention Toolbox Talk

Understanding the Issues

At the 2020 Fall Leadership Meetings, Juli Bacon, Chair of NAHB’s Construction Safety and Health Committee, conducted an interview with Sally Spencer-Thomas, Psy.D, a clinical psychologist, discussing the impact of mental wellbeing on workers:

Articles and Webinars

• “Why the Construction Industry is a Pressure Cooker of Stress,” World Millwork Alliance’s Millwork & More Magazine, Dec. 2021 (pg. 10)
• “Building a Caring Culture: Addressing Mental Health in the Workplace,” whitepaper
• “Mental Health and Wellbeing in Construction: Impacts to Jobsite Safety,” Harwood Floors Magazine, June 1, 2021
• 2021 Behavioral Health Guidebook, Mindwise Innovations, June 2021
• “Hard Hats Aren’t Enough: Statistics Reveal Concerns for the Construction Industry” – BUILD Des Moines, April 2021
• Headstrong: Mental, Emotional & Behavior Wellness in the Midst of a Pandemic – Free NAHB Webinar, 2021
• “Worker Wellbeing & Behavioral Health,” World Millwork Alliance’s Millwork & More Magazine, Dec. 2020
• NAHB Leads the Charge on Member Mental Health and Wellbeing, NAHB Now, Nov. 17, 2020
• Safety on the Job Site - Video segment on TheHill.TV, Sept. 19, 2020
• Mental Wellbeing Becoming Increasingly Important for Construction Workers, NAHB Now, June 25, 2020

Additional Resources

At the NAHB 2020 Spring Leadership Meetings, Cal Beyer, Vice President of Workforce Risk & Worker Wellbeing at construction risk management firm CSDZ provided free resources for NAHB members:

• The Invisible Construction Crisis: Why Focus on Construction Workforce Risk?
• Mental Health Resources for Employers
• Toolbox Talk on Self-Care During the Pandemic
• Suicide Prevention Resources

NAHB has also joined the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention (CIASP) in an effort to raise awareness of the prevalence of suicide in the construction industry. More information on the efforts of the Alliance and NAHB’s member mental wellbeing initiative will be forthcoming.