Learn the Best Strategies for Suicide and Substance Abuse Prevention

Safety
Published

The home building industry has recently shown that it is ready to have conversations about mental health and substance abuse. Join NAHB and its supporting partners in recognizing September as National Suicide Prevention Month and October as National Substance Abuse Prevention Month.

A CDC/NIOSH report from August 2023 showed construction had the highest overdose mortality rate among industries at 162 deaths per 100,000 workers in 2020, and construction professionals accounted for nearly a quarter of the 58,917 total drug overdose deaths in 46 states and New York City.

Construction workers are also five times more likely to die by suicide than from a jobsite injury, with as many as 50% of all construction workers experiencing a diagnosable mental health problem.

NAHB and its partners — including SAFE Project, the Job-Site Safety Institute (JSI), MindWise Innovations, and others — have created resources to help employers maintain a safe and supportive work environment.

Mental Health

As a member of the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention, NAHB encourages members to take the pledge to STAND up for suicide prevention and No Shame Pledge.

Substance Abuse

More resources on mental health and substance abuse can be found on nahb.org.

Subscribe to NAHBNow

Log in or create account to subscribe to notifications of new posts.

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Legal

Mar 06, 2026

NAHB Commends Court Ruling Vacating HUD 2021 IECC Mandate

NAHB Chairman Bill Owens issued the following statement after the Eastern District Court of Texas issued its decision in a lawsuit brought by NAHB and 15 states challenging the legality of the HUD and USDA rule imposing the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code and the 2019 ASHRAE 90.1 standard on certain housing programs.

Membership

Mar 06, 2026

Bill Truex Seeks Certification as a Candidate for 2028 NAHB Third Vice Chairman

The NAHB Nominations Committee announces that Bill Truex, president, Truex Preferred Construction in Englewood, FL, has submitted his Letter of Intent to seek certification as a candidate for NAHB 2028 Third Vice Chairman.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

Mar 06, 2026

U.S. Economy Loses 92,000 Jobs in February

The U.S. labor market weakened in February, as payroll employment declined and the unemployment rate rose to 4.4%. The cooling labor market could place the Federal Reserve in a challenging position as policymakers weigh slower job growth against inflation pressures from rising oil prices.

Economics

Mar 05, 2026

Builders Identify Key Long-Term Forces Shaping Housing Demand and Industry Health

Home builders are keenly aware of the complex long-term outlook ahead for the home building industry. A recent NAHB/Wells Fargo HMI survey asked builders to assess the impact of 14 major trends and forces on the health of the industry and housing demand over the next 10 years.

Economics

Mar 05, 2026

Affordability Posts Mild Gains in Second Half of 2025 but Crisis Continues

Though new and existing homes remain largely unaffordable, the needle moved slightly in the right direction in the second half of 2025, according to the latest data from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Cost of Housing Index (CHI).