Sonya Bohmann, Executive Director of the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention (CIASP), discussed suicide awareness and removing the stigma surrounding mental health conversations as part of the America’s Work Force Union Podcast coverage of Construction Suicide Prevention Week.
The Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention was founded in 2018 to address the Center for Disease Control (CDC) study ranking construction as the top industry for deaths by suicide. Their mission is to raise awareness about suicide prevention and provide resources and tools to create a zero-suicide sector by uniting and supporting the construction industry.
Coming from the construction industry, specifically commercial rebuild and reconstruction, Bohmann has seen firsthand the mental health hazards that can impact construction workers. Unfortunately, the industry is experiencing death by suicide nearly five times more often than the general public, Bohmann said.
As Suicide Prevention Month continues, Bohmann discussed what the CIASP has done to try and reverse the trend of increasing deaths by suicide in the construction industry. So far this year, Bohmann said the organization has presented to over 10,000 workers about mental health and suicide prevention tools and statistics. She discussed the seminars, webinars, other events, and the resources shared with construction workers.
Despite the hard work by CIASP and unions, there hasn't been enough improvement, Bohmann said. She discussed how contractors, unions and individuals can use toolbox kits from the CIASP website to discuss warning signs for someone in crisis. Bohmann believes the message is starting to resonate with members, but there is still more work to be done.
If you or someone you know is going through crisis, please call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or text 988 for help.
Listen to the show above to hear more about the ways CIASP is addressing suicide rates in the construction industry.