SIX IN 10 CONSTRUCTION WORKERS EXPERIENCE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION; EXECUTIVES ACKNOWLEDGE THOSE WHO SEEK HELP OFTEN FACE STIGMA, DISCRIMINATION

Clayco Calls on Construction Sector to Establish Best Practices to Address Industry-Wide Mental Health Crisis

CHICAGO, Oct. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Sixty-four percent of U.S. construction workers report experiencing anxiety or depression in the last 12 months, up from 54% in 2024, according to new data released today by top design-build firm Clayco. The findings are the result of Clayco's second annual industry-wide survey of more than 2,000 construction workers and executives across the U.S. 

Encouragingly, Clayco's study found that more construction workers (44%) have utilized mental health services or taken prescribed medications to treat a mental health issue (35%) in the last year, but many (45%) still say they feel ashamed to talk about their mental health issues, while 37% report being discriminated against at work when they do.

A Pledge to Address Mental Health Challenges in the Construction Industry

To better address this mental health crisis, Clayco is calling on firms across the sector to adopt its Construction Industry Mental Health Support Pledge, a set of best practices and initiatives designed to foster a culture where workers feel empowered to speak openly about mental health issues and have access to treatment and support options. 

"For an industry that has made huge strides in improving and promoting the physical safety of our workers, it is time that we focus, collectively, on addressing the mental health and psychological safety issues faced by the entire construction sector," said Clayco CEO Anthony Johnson. "As leaders, we need to use this moment to take responsibility for creating the best possible work and support environments. That means not just treating cases when they arise, but making sure every worker feels valued, supported, and able to thrive. If we commit to that, we can begin to reduce the number of people in our industry who are carrying this weight alone."

The Construction Industry Mental Health Pledge brings together Clayco's ongoing efforts to improve psychological safety on jobsites – including mental health specific orientation and jobsite safety resources, available psychological safety sessions with mental health professionals, dedicated jobsite wellness zones, 24/7 access to anonymous mental health support providers and substance abuse treatment resources.

Executives Acknowledge Mental Health Stigma, Discrimination in Construction Industry 

A key component of the Construction Industry Mental Health Support Pledge will be to promote a workplace culture where individuals feel safe and empowered to seek support for mental health challenges while providing assurances that workers will not be retaliated against or treated differently for speaking up.

Creating an environment where individuals can speak openly about mental health is critical given that Clayco's survey found that more than one in five construction executives across the industry currently admit they'd be less likely to assign important tasks to a worker who sought mental health services, while 30% of executives said that those workers would be more closely monitored on the job.

Beyond acknowledging the impact of stigma around mental health issues in the industry, close to half (48%) of construction executives – who were surveyed in addition to workers this year – admit they have experienced their own personal struggles with anxiety or depression within the past 12 months.

Clayco Announces Partnership with NAMI to Promote Psychological Safety in Construction Sector

To further promote action on mental health issues, Clayco has partnered with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) as a StigmaFree Workplace partner to increase education, awareness, and support for psychological safety across the construction sector.

"The data makes clear that stigma continues to be a barrier to addressing the mental health issues that are pervasive across the construction industry," said Dan Lester, Vice President of Field Culture and Inclusion at Clayco. "If people fear being treated differently for speaking up, they won't ask for the help they need, which is why we have partnered with NAMI to develop programs and initiatives to address these fears and combat stigma," adds Lester, one of the few individuals in the construction industry who is both a Certified Coach in the 4-Stages of Psychological Safety and Certified Construction Suicide Prevention Trainer. "Our mutual goal is to ensure that both construction workers and executives understand that seeking support is an act of strength, not weakness."

"The unfortunate reality is that the long hours, physically demanding work and a male-dominated and stoic culture that discourages many from discussing mental health make construction workers, and executives, more susceptible to mental health issues when compared with many other professions," said Darcy Gruttadaro, Chief Innovation Officer at NAMI. "We are excited to enter into this partnership with Clayco to develop innovative ways to fight stigma, increase access to treatment options, and educate workers, managers, and executives about how to seek help for themselves and promote psychological safety for their colleagues and employees.

Survey Methodology
For the second consecutive year, Clayco commissioned Atomik Research to conduct a survey of 1,000+ workers in the construction industry regarding mental health. For the first time, the 2025 edition of the survey also surveyed 1,000+ construction industry executives and decision makers. The margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points with a confidence level of 95 percent. Fieldwork took place between July 17 and August 1, 2025.

For the full results of the study, click here.

About Clayco
Clayco is a full-service, turnkey real estate development, master planning, architecture, engineering, and construction firm that safely and sustainably delivers the highest quality solutions to clients across North America on time, on budget, and above and beyond expectations. With $7.6 billion in revenue for 2024, Clayco specializes in the "art and science of building," providing fast track, efficient solutions for industrial, commercial, institutional and residential-related building projects. For more information, visit www.claycorp.com.

About NAMI
NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.

SOURCE Clayco