Over six million working-age people have mental health problems in the UK, but only 40 per cent of those seek help. It's time to do more.

The recently published Stevenson/Farmer review of mental health and employers for the UK government reaffirmed the significant costs of mental ill-health to organizations. According to the review, poor mental health costs employers between £33 billion and £42 billion a year, with an annual cost to the UK economy of between £74 billion and £99 billion.

Over six million working-age people have mental health problems in the UK, but only 40% of those seek help and an even smaller amount, 24%, receive treatment.  This problem is particularly relevant to the construction sector. Many indicators suggest that the workforce could be at an even greater risk of mental ill-health than other sectors, but awareness of support and help remains extremely low.

This year, through RAND Europe's work with VitalityHealth's Britain's Healthiest Workplace Survey and the work of Mates in Mind, we identified clear messages from those working in the construction sector that they are experiencing significant mental health challenges in the workplace. The survey results showed that unrealistic time pressures, working irregular hours, fatigue and feelings of isolation are the most pronounced challenges for the sector.

Read the full article about mental health challenges in the construction industry by Michael Whitmore at RAND Corporation.