Mental ill health is a growing issue for electricians, plumbers and carpenters, with four out of five tradespeople (82%) saying they have experienced mental ill health because of their work, a poll has suggested.
The Mental Health in the Trades: 2024 Report for the website Ironmongery Direct also found more than a quarter of those polled (27%) were reporting symptoms every week and two in five (40%) every fortnight.
And in fact, even this high number may only be the tip of the iceberg. A separate poll by hydraulic hose replacement firm Pirtek and has concluded that 94% of professionals working in the ‘hard hat’ industries have reported “major challenges” with their mental health. This has including feelings of stress, anxiety, depression, and loneliness.
The cost-of-living crisis was the main reason for these rising stress levels, with more than a third (34%) of those polled by Ironmongery Direct saying this was a major cause of their stress.
The rising cost of materials was the second main stressor (32%), followed by other financial factors (25%).
Joiners were the most likely to experience problems, with almost all of those surveyed (92%) admitting symptoms. The rising cost of materials, again, was their main cause of anxiety (41%).
They were followed by bricklayers (90%), who primarily were worried about the cost-of-living crisis (27%).
The Pirtek UK and Ireland poll, meanwhile, found that, worryingly, a quarter of its respondents said they would never discuss their mental health with their colleagues.
Three out of 10 (28.9%) said, while they had spoken about their mental health with their peers, they had felt uncomfortable in doing so.
