New code tackles root causes of the construction industry's mental health crisis

Mental health is one of the most significant risks facing the construction industry. The Office for National Statistics says the suicide rate for men in UK construction is nearly four times the national average. Yet mental health harm is not inevitable, it is the result of decision-making around how construction work is designed, planned, and led.

To enact real change, the Construction Leadership Council (CLC), of which Warwick is a sponsor, has published its Mental Health Joint Code of Practice (JCOP). The JCOP provides leaders and businesses, across the sector, with a framework to create an environment that fosters better mental health for their workforce.

Dr. Carla Toro, Associate Professor in Mental Health Sciences at Warwick Medical School, and CLC Mental Health project steering group member, said: “This JCOP focuses on the systems, not just the individuals. It asks the sector to apply the same discipline to mental health risk that it applies to physical safety risk. Where we identify, assess, control, monitor and improve, continuously. 

“It has been a privilege to lead the academic arm of this industry-led partnership. The JCOP marks a step-change for UK construction: moving beyond awareness-raising towards evidence-based prevention. Grounded in Warwick research and the voices of more than 3,000 construction stakeholders, it gives organisations a practical framework for tackling the root causes of poor mental health through five sector-specific hazard areas and risk assessment guidance aligned with HSE principles and the wider NHS shift from sickness to prevention.”

To shape the JCOP, the University of Warwick led an extensive research programme and data collection and analysis of a stakeholder consultation to understand the roots causes impacting worker mental health. Underpinning research included six regional focus groups with 47 workers in trade roles (Clohessy and Toro, 2025), interviews with 20 new entrants to the industry (Mitchell and Toro, 2026) and a synthesis of the evidence base on UK construction psychosocial hazards (Toro et al., 2026). This informed the design of the consultation survey and open calls for evidence and practical solutions.

The Warwick research identified, five ‘hazard clusters’ that summarise the drivers of mental health challenges in construction:

• Working patterns (e.g. long hours, shifts and excessive travel)
• People factors and environment (e.g. bullying, limited support and hierarchy) 
• Operational factors (e.g. unachievable deadlines and poor planning)
• Support factors (stigma and baseline understanding of mental health)
• Financial Factors (late payment and job insecurity)

“Mental health at work is often discussed as something that belongs to individuals. However, visible signs of mental distress are often the ‘tip of the iceberg’ said Dr. Charlotte Hills Research Fellow, Warwick Medical School. “Beneath them are systematic work-related stressors that build up.These stressors are predictable, such as long hours, poor communication, and job insecurity, and they can be prevented. 

“The code advises not to wait until people are visibly struggling before acting. We must “go upstream” to stop the stressors that create harm in the first place.”

As an example, Timewise Construction were a company struggling with the fallout of long hours, limited flexibility, and high fatigue. However, through adopting this system level approach with team-based rostering and staggered start times saw a clear improvement to workers' life, with 83% of workers reporting they had enough time to care for their wellbeing (up from 48%).

The JCOP is a living framework designed to address these five hazards. It is not intended to replace crisis support, which remains essential, but to shift the focus earlier, helping the industry identify hazards early, assess the risks and put proportionate interventions in place before harm occur. Leaders and businesses are invited to adopt it, use it, and improve it.