Dr. Millard Brown, Chief Medical Officer at Spring Health, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast on World Mental Health Day to discuss mental health awareness in construction, the value of therapy and how Spring Health is making a difference.
The construction industry has a mental health awareness issue, with suicide rates three to five times higher than the general population. Brown discussed the need to break down barriers to care, particularly for male-dominated industries where seeking help is often stigmatized. He highlighted how Spring Health's platform allows workers to explore mental health support privately, offering a range of services from digital self-help tools to therapy and medication support. Brown stressed the importance of making mental health care as simple and accessible as possible, noting that Spring Health connects members to therapists in an average of less than two days.
Sleep issues often intertwine with mental health problems, especially in industries with shift work. Brown explained how poor sleep patterns can exacerbate stress, burnout and cognitive function. He emphasized that addressing sleep is often a crucial first step in improving overall mental health. Spring Health's approach includes screening for various issues, including sleep disorders, to provide targeted support and resources.
Breaking the stigma around therapy is crucial, particularly in male-dominated fields. Brown shared his experience from the military, where leaders openly seeking care helped normalize the process. He advocated for a similar approach in the private sector, suggesting that when company leaders openly support mental health initiatives, it can transform workplace culture. Brown also highlighted the importance of having neutral, professional support outside of family and work relationships to gain new perspectives and coping skills.
To learn more about mental health support in construction and how Spring Health is making a difference, listen to the full episode of America's Work Force Union Podcast.
America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues.
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