Our purpose is to shed light on substance use and mental health issues within the construction industry, by highlighting available, accessible, and effective supports. You Are No Longer Alone serves as a resource hub for national and provincial resources while also providing addiction, mental health, and suicide prevention education.

When it comes to mental health and addiction, many people may think they are long-term issues. In reality, the struggle can be a lot more temporary by seeking support. Mental health and addiction issues are all treatable, and they have the potential to be only temporary for most individuals.

Addiction and suicide prevention starts with educating yourself and others, understanding the gravity of the information, and coming together as a community to address the problem.

• Education: We recognize that education and continuous learning is essential to first understanding, then combating addiction and mental health issues. Learning changes minds and lives.
• Understanding: We believe in suspending judgment so that one can understand and appreciate others’ perspectives or situations when they are different from their own. When we try to understand one another, community forms.
• Community: We recognize that no single person or idea can solve complex challenges and believe that people working together can create greater impact than any one individual or organization can accomplish alone.

Findings of ‘Causes and Drivers of Addiction and Suicide in the Trades’

As the sole substance use treatment service to the construction and building trades of Ontario, De Novo Treatment Centre has firsthand seen the effects of the addiction and suicide crisis. As a result, they wanted to better understand the drivers behind these issues. De Novo partnered with the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario and the Ontario Erectors Association, and along with market research firm Pollara Strategic Insights, they led research to better understand the causes and drivers of addiction and suicide among Ontario’s construction and building trades.

In total, online surveys were completed by 1267 participants from June 11, 2021 to July 25, 2021, consisting of the following populations:

• Members/employees of the building trades: 1011 respondents
• Leadership in the industry: 167 respondents
• Past De Novo clients: 78 respondents

Overall, the main reasons for substance use and suicidal ideation among construction workers were commonly expressed by all three population groups surveyed. After the results from all the surveys were analyzed, five key drivers emerged.

Work Habits and Schedule – 44%-49% of respondents

• Physical pain due to the kind of work involved;
• Long working hours;
• Not eating and/or living healthy;
• Working in shifts, not having a fixed sleeping pattern, trouble falling asleep, feeling tired, and low on energy.

Personal Relations – 45%-47% of respondents

• Staying away from home and/or family for extended periods of time;
• Living on the go, travelling a lot, staying in hotels, and not being able to spend enough time at home;
• Feeling unable to maintain relationships;
• Feeling isolated and cut off from family and friends;
• Not having anyone to talk to, feelings of being alone or lonely.

Mental Health: Stress, Anxiety and Depression – 40%-41% of respondents

• Work related stress;
• Feeling sad, depressed, or hopeless;
• Feeling anxious, restless, or uneasy;
• Stress, anxiety, and depression caused by other drivers (i.e. finances, personal relations, bullying, etc.).

Finances – 35%-44% of respondents

• Financial insecurity;
• Not being able to pay bills;
• Uncertainty about the next job, or getting the next job;
• Accepting jobs for the sake of having a job.

Discrimination and Abuse – 24%-26% of respondents

• Bullying by other members and/or the leaders;
• Getting abused physically, verbally, or mentally at the jobsite;
• Being of a different racial or ethnic background (being non-white), including speaking a different language and struggling in mixing with colleagues;
• LGBTQ2S+ members experiencing discrimination at higher rates;
• Being a woman in a male dominated industry – sexual harassment.

How to cite this data: De Novo Treatment Centre. (2021). Causes and drivers of addiction and suicide in the trades. Retrieved from www.youarenolongeralone.com