Prince William shines a light on suicide in the construction industry during latest visit

Prince William has arrived at a construction site in West London this morning to discuss the prevalance of suicide in the construction industry.

The heir to the throne, who has long been an advocate of mental health awareness, highlighted the crucial need to focus on prevention, rather than crisis management, when it comes to mental health support.

During the visit he spoke passionately of his determination to “normalise” better mental health today and appeared visibly moved as he discussed shocking statistics showing suicide rates.

Workers in construction are at some of the highest risk of suicide in the country, with rates in the industry over three times higher than the national average, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

In 2021, 507 construction worers died by suicide – which equates to an average of two workers taking their own life every working day. The figures for 2022 have not yet been released by the ONS.

William hopes to shine a light on the issue and sat down with construction workers who spoke about their experiences and some of the challenges they and their colleagues have faced.

He chatted to a group of carpenters and a supervisor when he visited their on-site canteen after touring the development in a hard-hat, high visibility jacket and protective glasses.

He asked a group of men, who were enjoying their lunch break, if they “talk about mental health?” adding “mental fitness, is that something you relate to?”.

Supervisor Edward Xhafa, 43 said after speaking to William: “Everywhere you look there is pressure but we talk about it a lot. We look after each other, we communicate with each other and there are sessions here every week where you’re able to talk through everything.”

William also had discussions with leading mental health charity Mates in Mind about the work they do to promote the development of positive mental wellbeing within the workplace.

It aims to provide clear information to employers about the available support and guidance on mental health and how they can address this within their organisation.

Mace construction group, who are building the project that William visited today, are working with Mates in Mind to ensure the working environment places a strong focus on implementing strategies to ensure that employees are supported and can maintain their mental health – ensuring that issues are identified and early on, rather than reacting when a person reaches breaking point.

William heard more about the initiatives that Mace are putting into practice across their construction projects, including workshops and training to ensure mental health is better understood.

Men’s mental health and suicide prevention has been a cause William has dedicated much time to over the years, and something that he is passionate about.

He aims to highlight and champion the importance of tackling the vital issue, which is the largest cause of death for men under the age of 35.