Tradies’ mental health in the spotlight
New campaign urges construction workers to look after their own mental health and also to ‘mind their mates’Research has shown that, compared to other industries, those working in construction are at a higher risk of experiencing mental health problems.
With that in mind, mental health research organisation Black Dog Institute has partnered up with tradie communications company Target Tradies to deliver positive mental health messages to construction workers.
Under the campaign, set to roll out later this month, a series of creative posters with tips on supporting mental health will be delivered to construction sites around the nation. The aim is to make workers think about mental wellbeing and physical health and safety in equal measures.
The posters also ask readers to ‘mind your mates’, in a bid to reduce stigma and to get employees to support their colleagues' mental health, as well as their own.
"We know that people in the construction industry have a strong culture of safety, and looking out for their mates," said Black Dog Institute research fellow, Dr Mark Deady.
"We wanted to extend that way of thinking to mental health - knowing what the danger signs are, and either being there to help out a mate, or knowing where to seek help for yourself.”
The posters feature bold designs with play on words like “stressed and can’t nail it?" to make the signs and symptoms of mental illness relatable and quickly understood.
Target Tradies founder, Michael Blumberg, said the company is excited to share the messages across Australian construction sites.
"As a company, we are committed to improving awareness of physical and mental wellbeing of workers onsite,” he said.
“We hope that through campaigns like this, more in the industry will see how we can improve onsite safety and come on board with this great initiative.”
Blumberg said Target Tradies has received support and sponsorship from The Black Dog Institute since the beginning of 2018.
“Our media is uniquely placed within the construction sites, specifically in dwell spaces. Here, tradies have the opportunity to read messages and hopefully act on them."
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