Supporting workers’ mental wellbeing is essential for worker safety and health

We all experience stress, whether we feel it ourselves or notice it in our family members and friends. Life's challenges and frustrations surround us, contributing to feelings of stress.

The numbers support this. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 71% of adults in the U.S. reported at least one sign of stress in 2016. These signs include feeling anxious or overwhelmed or having headaches caused by stress. And these are just a few symptoms; there are others.

To make matters of mental health even more challenging, the signs of concern for mental health are not always as visible and apparent as concerns for physical health are. The words we use to describe mental health are different from the words we use to explain physical health. People often say things like:

  • "I have a fever."
  • "He has the flu."
  • "She strained a muscle."

These phrases are clear and define signals to others that someone isn't feeling well, and we know how to respond.

Unfortunately, mental health concerns are not as well known or clear. This makes it more difficult to see or understand the mental health challenges in ourselves or others. That is why the work of the Georgia Mental Health Alliance is so important. In May, the alliance led an initiative focused on worker mental health. Employers across the state were encouraged to participate in the Nurture the Mental Health of Georgia Workers Safety Stand-Down, where they paused work to discuss the importance of workers caring for their mental health and supporting co-workers' well-being.

"With the increase in stress in work and all of life, we knew that we needed to do something to let more workers know about the help and resources that are available to them," said Marilyn Velez, an OSHA compliance assistance specialist in Atlanta.

Velez has been passionate about this issue for several years, particularly after noticing the growing number of workplace suicides and drug overdose fatalities in 2019. That year, the statistics were alarming:

Realizing there was more work to be done, Velez identified three key challenges:

  1. She was more familiar with physical safety and health hazards than mental health risks.
  2. Mental health issues carry a stigma that makes them harder to address.
  3. There is no enforcement tool for mental health risks and hazards.

As a compliance assistance specialist, Velez is an expert in partnering with employers and other groups to keep workers physically safe and healthy. So, she began looking for partners

to address mental health in the workplace.

"We needed a partnership that would allow OSHA to amplify partners' expertise, help our OSHA area office develop our own expertise, and—most importantly—help workers," said Velez. A network of safety professionals and mental health experts developed a campaign titled "Empowering Healthy Connections at Work." In February 2020, a stakeholder donated a billboard in the Atlanta area promoting this campaign.

While the COVID-19 pandemic slowed down the developing momentum, Velez and her partners continued raising awareness through presentations about mental health at several jobsites and conferences. In April 2022, the Georgia Mental Health Alliance was signed with four signatories.

The pandemic increased mental health issues and concerns across Georgia and the rest of the country, making the alliance's work even more important and necessary.

By April 2024, the alliance had been renewed and grown to seven signatories. The partners conducted the “Nurturing the Mental Health of Georgia Workers” Safety Stand-Down throughout May as part of Mental Health Awareness Month. The stand-down demonstrated the importance of the partnership to increase awareness about mental health risks among workers.

The results of this effort were real and significant, according to Velez.

"We heard from a state public health official that we were helping employers across Georgia create a culture that supports worker mental health," said Velez. "We heard from a contractor that they made connections with organizations that brought experts to job sites for classes. Everyone involved felt fulfilled because we knew we were making a difference."

The consequences of ignoring mental health concerns in the workplace can be devastating, according to Dr. John Dahunsi, a mental health practitioner for OSHA. He has seen and studied what happens when mental health is overlooked in workplaces.

"The workplace is a significant part of people's lives because of the time we spend there," Dahunsi wrote in a blog in September 2023. "Workplaces often act as a catalyst for stress, anxiety and other mental health challenges. Employers should consider mental health as part of their safety and health management system."

September is Suicide Prevention Month. It is a critical time for employers to think about what they can do to prevent worker suicides. To properly think about that requires thinking holistically about worker health. Employers can take this time to make sure that their overall safety and health management system includes considerations for mental health and wellbeing. It's also a good time to look for and connect with partners to develop expertise and increase resources for worker mental health. Consider planning or participating in a mental health safety stand-down in May.

"Together, we can do so much more to protect both the mental and physical health of workers. We are seeing that here in Georgia, and we want every employer and safety stakeholder to join us in this mission," said Velez.

For more information on protecting and improving worker mental health, visit osha.gov/workplace-stress. The Georgia Mental Health Alliance also offers resources to help prevent suicides among construction workers.

If you or someone you are struggling with mental health or emotional distress, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit 988lifeline.org.

Construction worker with head in hands