September is National Suicide Prevention Month — a time to raise awareness of an important crisis that claims more than 700,000 lives each year.
But one profession in particular has the highest suicide rates.
Construction workers—men in particular—are committing suicide at a rate that's 75% higher than the general population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's a number that keeps climbing.
Justin Azbill was an overwhelmed safety director for a large construction firm during the height of the pandemic. He credits his 8-year-old daughter for saving his life.
“I fully committed to taking my life,” Azbill said.
"She asked me to stay home that day with her for school,” he said. “’Papa, Papa. Stay home. I love you very much.’ And, sharing that, you know, that she still loved me, and just hearing those words, I stayed,” he said.
According to the CDC, male construction workers have the highest rate of suicide—53 per 100,000—which is five times higher than any other industry. An estimated 6,000 died in 2022.
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“You know, men aren't always as willing to talk or share what's going on. So they start to bottle up some of those emotions. There's like this toughness culture within construction,” said Angela Crawford, executive director of Construction Suicide Prevention Week.
Angela Crawford heads up Construction Suicide Prevention Week, an effort that started four years ago to bring awareness to the issue. She said a number of factors lead to mental health issues in construction, including injury, time away from family, and substance abuse.
“So it's bite-sized ways to get the conversation started and to get resources into the hands of the people who are building the communities,” Crawford said.
From stretching to talks to mental health training, the goal is to break down the stigma surrounding the issue.
It's a stigma Azbill is also fighting to eliminate. He now travels the country sharing his story with other workers in hopes of breaking the cycle.
“I think most important is understanding we're human beings in this industry, we all have challenges. There's no perfect person. Take the time to have a human conversation,” Azbill said.
This week is National Construction Suicide Prevention Week, and resources are available for free here. If you or someone you know needs help, call, text, or chat 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Prevention Lifeline.
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