Ottawa, ON — Tradespeople view their mental health as less than good, according to a study by the Canada Building Trades Union. The new report, titled Mental Health and Substance Use, surveyed over 1,000 of its members, including plumbers, pipefitters, and electrical workers.
“Findings show tradespeople face unique mental health and substance use issues linked to high stress, jobsite hazards, and financial strain,” according to the report. “Research revealed that the level of mental health distress among tradespeople is high, but nearly in line with all Canadian workers from other sectors. Though the overall results are nearly the same for mental health distress related to work for tradespeople in comparison to other professionals, our research shows that the specific psychological and environmental hazards, and workplace pressures that lead to mental health distress are quite different.”
Nearly half of those polled rated their mental health as fair (29 per cent) or poor (17 per cent). Surprisingly, only one-third have sought some type of help, while 25 per cent use substances daily or weekly to cope. Yet, 84 per cent still believe that their union offers the necessary mental health support for the job. Non-surprisingly, 72 per cent opposed random drug testing.
Many tradespeople reported having experienced serious pain, which may vary from other sectors and may also contribute to substance abuse, according to the report.
Recurring concerns highlighted by members, over the past 12 months, included stress (58 per cent), anxiety (47 per cent), burnout (38 per cent), depression (34 per cent) and insomnia (29 per cent).
The report also showed that 42 per cent of tradespeople who reported their mental health is less than good are using drugs or alcohol daily or weekly to manage their mental health. More than 27 per cent of respondents stated they use alcohol or drugs daily, and 17 per cent reported using drugs and alcohol weekly to manage their mental health. Additionally, 28 per cent stated they have experienced some form of addiction.
Pain management
Suffering an injury or experiencing pain was another primary concern, as 36 per cent of tradespeople report they’ve suffered a job injury/strain severe enough to require a program of pain management or a prescription. Among respondents who have this experience of pain, the rates of alcohol and drug use to manage pain at least monthly are 2.5 times higher than among those who have never suffered a job injury or strain requiring pain management or prescription.
However, the report highlights that tradespeople who stated they have good mental health in comparison to those who have poor mental health have sharply different assessments of how work affects them.
For example, 62 per cent of workers who report their mental health is less than good say their mental health is extremely or significantly affected by their job. Compared to those who say their mental health is good or better, 25 per cent report the same intensity of impact from their job.
Additionally, 41 per cent of tradespeople whose mental health is good or better say their job has no effect or only a slight impact on their mental health. Compared to 11 per cent of workers with less than good mental health, who feel the same.
When it comes to alcohol and drug use, 18 per cent of workers who reported good or better mental health indicated that they use alcohol daily or weekly to manage mental health.
We’re all in this together
The report also highlighted how most tradespeople feel a strong sense of community and support within their unions compared to other sectors (but those with mental health concerns feel divided on this), value their work and have a high level of autonomy.
Additionally, among workers with good or better mental health, 89 percent say their coworkers are always or most of the time supportive. Compared to those with less than good mental health, only 61 per cent report feeling they have supportive co-workers.