Construcciones Yamaro: Authenticity and ownership key to suicide prevention in construction

Construction workers remain twice as likely to die by suicide as other employed men. (Image: MATES in Construction)

New Australian research has found that authenticity, relatability and industry ownership are key to engaging construction workers in suicide prevention, reinforcing the effectiveness of the MATES in Construction model.

MATES in Construction is a not-for-profit workplace mental health and suicide prevention organisation delivering training, support and case management across the sector. The new study explores why workers trust and participate in the MATES program, which has been credited with helping to reduce suicide rates in the industry.

Led by MATES Australia CEO Jørgen Gullestrup, alongside professor Samantha Thomas, associate professor Tania King and professor Anthony D. LaMontagne, the study drew on interviews with 28 MATES volunteers across Queensland.

It found that worker trust and engagement stem from two core factors:

1. Peer relatability – MATES field officers are often former construction workers who share lived experience of suicide or mental ill-health. Their authenticity and understanding of site life make them relatable and approachable, helping to break down stigma and encourage workers to look out for each other. “People can relate much better to someone who’s been in their boots than to someone from corporate telling them to call a helpline,” said one participant.
2. Industry ownership – MATES’ joint support from employers and unions gives it credibility and neutrality. Workers see it as part of the industry, not an external intervention. “It is union supported and company supported… it’s the kind of thing everyone can agree on,” another worker said.

The research also highlighted the role of site integration – through on-site training, peer networks and visible reminders such as MATES hard-hat stickers and the annual Fly the Flag campaign – in normalising mental health conversations and strengthening the sense of community across the workforce.

A model for high-risk, male-dominated industries

Construction workers remain twice as likely to die by suicide as other employed men, but evidence shows that the MATES model is driving change.

Since its launch in 2008, MATES has trained more than 478,000 workers across Australia and New Zealand and has been recognised by the World Health Organization as a best-practice model for community-based suicide prevention.

Gullestrup said the findings show that suicide prevention is most effective when built on genuine relationships.

“This research confirms what we’ve always known – that change doesn’t come from a poster or a policy; it comes from people,” he said. “MATES works because it is built on trust, connection and shared experience. When you bring the industry together – employers, unions and workers – and make mental health part of everyday conversation on site, you create a culture where people look out for each other, and that saves lives.”

The authors concluded that the success of MATES lies in its authentic, peer-led and industry-embedded approach, a model that could be replicated and adapted across other high-risk sectors worldwide.

The study, The Influence of Relationships on Engagement in an Australian Construction Industry Suicide Prevention Program, was published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine.

The post Authenticity and ownership key to suicide prevention in construction appeared first on Inside Construction.

View Source