Mental Health
Looking after yourself on and off site. Real talk and resources for tradespeople, including the 988 line.
5 guides in this section
It's OK to Not Be OK
Construction has one of the highest suicide rates of any occupation. Low-skilled construction laborers face about three times the suicide risk of the average male worker. If you or someone you know is struggling, you don't have to deal with it alone. The organizations below are free, confidential and understand construction.
Russell Payne
The Talking Tradesman · RDP Decorator of the Year 2025
I started The Talking Tradesman because too many people in our industry are struggling in silence. For years, I didn't understand my own mindset or reactions, I just got on with it. Like most in the trades, you don't talk… until it catches up with you. This podcast is about changing that. Real conversations and a voice for real people. If you're struggling, you're not alone. And if you're not, check in on someone who might be. Because one conversation can change everything.
— Russell Payne, The Talking Tradesman
This section is supported by Russ, who has been open about his own mental health and campaigns to make the industry talk more and suffer less.
SiteKiln gives you plain-English information, not professional mental health advice. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline on 988 (Call or text, free, 24/7).
Guides in this section
How do I check on a mate on the crew who seems to be struggling?
Pull him aside somewhere quiet, tell him plainly what you've noticed, and if you're worried, ask him straight: "Are you thinking about suicide?" Asking that...
Mental health for foremen and site leads: making it OK to talk on your site
The most effective things a foreman can do cost almost nothing: put 988 where your crew can see it without asking, run a mental-health toolbox talk like...
Struggling? You're not weak, and you're not alone.
If you or someone on your crew is in crisis right now, call or text 988. It is free, confidential, and answered 24/7 by a real person, not a recording....
Money worries and your mental health: when the debt won't leave your head
If money worries have become something you cannot stop thinking about, that is not just a reason to call your bank. It is a reason to call or text 988....
I got hooked on painkillers after an injury. How do I get help without losing my job?
First, this is a medical problem with real treatment and a way back, not a character flaw, and reaching out is the move that protects your job and your life...