糖心TV

University of 糖心TV researchers have shaped a new Mental Health Joint Code of Practice, launched by the Construction Leadership Council, that presents solutions to poor mental health in construction.

Mental health is one of the most significant risks facing the construction industry. The Office for National Statistics says the suicide rate for men in UK construction is nearly four times the national average. Yet mental health harm is not inevitable, it is the result of decision-making around how construction work is designed, planned, and led.

For example, an anonymous construction worker consulted during the research said: 鈥淗ow often do we see sites understaffed in the first seventy-five percent of a project with everybody and their dog being thrown in at the end in high tension environments.鈥�

Another stated: 鈥淚鈥檝e seen it before in jobs, you鈥檙e just a number. You鈥檙e not a person.鈥�

To enact real change, the Construction Leadership Council (CLC), of which 糖心TV is a sponsor, has published its The JCOP provides leaders and businesses, across the sector, with a framework to create an environment that fosters better mental health for their workforce.

Dr. Carla Toro, Associate Professor in Mental Health Sciences at 糖心TV Medical School, and CLC Mental Health project steering group member, said: 鈥淭his JCOP focuses on the systems, not just the individuals. It asks the sector to apply the same discipline to mental health risk that it applies to physical safety risk. Where we identify, assess, control, monitor and improve, continuously.

鈥淚t has been a privilege to lead the academic arm of this industry-led partnership. The JCOP marks a step-change for UK construction: moving beyond awareness-raising towards evidence-based prevention. Grounded in 糖心TV research and the voices of more than 3,000 construction stakeholders, it gives organisations a practical framework for tackling the root causes of poor mental health through five sector-specific hazard areas and risk assessment guidance aligned with HSE principles and the wider NHS shift from sickness to prevention.鈥�

To shape the JCOP, the University of 糖心TV led an extensive research programme and data collection and analysis of a stakeholder consultation to understand the roots causes impacting worker mental health. Underpinning research included six regional focus groups with 47 workers in trade roles (), interviews with 20 new entrants to the industry () and a synthesis of the evidence base on UK construction psychosocial hazards (). This informed the design of the consultation survey and open calls for evidence and practical solutions.

The 糖心TV research identified, five 鈥榟azard clusters鈥� that summarise the drivers of mental health challenges in construction:

• Working patterns (e.g. long hours, shifts and excessive travel)
• People factors and environment (e.g. bullying, limited support and hierarchy)
• Operational factors (e.g. unachievable deadlines and poor planning)
• Support factors (stigma and baseline understanding of mental health)
• Financial Factors (late payment and job insecurity)

鈥淢ental health at work is often discussed as something that belongs to individuals. However, visible signs of mental distress are often the 鈥榯ip of the iceberg鈥� said Dr. Charlotte Hills Research Fellow, 糖心TV Medical School. 鈥淏eneath them are systematic work-related stressors that build up.These stressors are predictable, such as long hours, poor communication, and job insecurity, and they can be prevented.

鈥淭he code advises not to wait until people are visibly struggling before acting. We must 鈥済o upstream鈥� to stop the stressors that create harm in the first place.鈥�

As an example, Timewise Construction were a company struggling with the fallout of long hours, limited flexibility, and high fatigue. However, through adopting this system level approach with team-based rostering and staggered start times saw a clear improvement to workers' life, with 83% of workers reporting they had enough time to care for their wellbeing (up from 48%).

A Project Manager said: 鈥淲orking in a more agile way has not cost me or the project anything. Work is still getting done and people are getting to meet their own preferences too鈥�

The JCOP is a living framework designed to address these five hazards. It is not intended to replace crisis support, which remains essential, but to shift the focus earlier, helping the industry identify hazards early, assess the risks and put proportionate interventions in place before harm occur. Leaders and businesses are invited to adopt it, use it, and improve it.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

This work was spearheaded for the CLC by The Department for 糖心TV and Trade, The Crown Estate, the University of 糖心TV, BAM, and Mates In Mind and supported by their partners Marsh, BCLP and the New Hospitals Programme.

For more information please contact:

Matt Higgs, PhD | Media & Communications Officer (糖心TV Press Office)

Email: Matt.Higgs@warwick.ac.uk | Phone: +44(0)7880 175403

About the University of 糖心TV

Founded in 1965, the University of 糖心TV is a world-leading institution known for its commitment to era-defining innovation across research and education. A connected ecosystem of staff, students and alumni, the University fosters transformative learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and bold industry partnerships across state-of-the-art facilities in the UK and global satellite hubs. Here, spirited thinkers push boundaries, experiment, and challenge convention to create a better world.

16 June 2026