We are pleased to announce a FREE special gathering led by our Council member, Dr John S. Gaal.
The event will be held on June 6, 2025 at 2pm at The Canterbury Cathedral Lodge within the Canterbury Cathedral Precincts.
Places are LIMITED. Registration is required.
Addressing Mental Health in Construction – The Critical Need for Postvention
The construction industry faces a silent crisis. In the U.S., suicide rates are five times higher and overdose deaths a staggering seventeen times higher than workplace injury fatalities. This isn’t just a U.S. problem; it’s a global challenge rooted in an industry culture that often prioritizes toughness over vulnerability.
While prevention and intervention efforts are gaining traction, a vital piece is missing: suicide postvention programs. These crucial support systems help teams and individuals cope after a suicide or overdose event, mitigating ripple effects and fostering healing.
This workshop will explore the urgent need for postvention in the UK and European construction sectors. We aim to collectively address:
- Are similar mental health challenges prevalent in UK/European construction?
- Is there interest in co-developing a culturally sensitive postvention framework tailored to our industry?
Join us to share existing strategies, outline essential program components, examine delivery methods, and potentially form a working group to pilot an international program. This is more than an exchange of knowledge; it’s a call to action to embed mental well-being as fundamental to industry safety and sustainability.
Who Should Attend
Anyone interested is welcome, specifically:
- Construction Company Executives & Senior Management (CEOs, MDs, HR Directors, Operations Directors);
- Occupational Health & Safety managers and personnel;
- Human Resource professionals;
- Union Representatives & Worker Advocates;
- Mental Health Professionals (Psychologists, Therapists, Counsellors)
- Researchers & Academics focused on Occupational Health, Public Health, or Sociology;
- Government & Policy Makers;
- Construction Project Managers & Site Managers.
What You Will Get From This
Practical outcomes of the session may include:
- Understanding the scale of the mental health crisis in construction and similar industries;
- Sharing existing mental health and postvention strategies across regions;
- Gaining practical knowledge and tools for support, especially after critical incidents;
- Outlining the essential components of a culturally sensitive postvention program;
- Examining potential delivery methods (e.g., on-site workshops, peer support networks, digital platforms); and/or
- Creating a working group or advisory panel to develop an international pilot program.
The aim is not only to exchange knowledge but to catalyse action—sending a clear message that the mental well-being of construction workers is essential to safety and sustainability in the industry.
About Dr John S Gaal
In March 2021, Dr. Gaal accepted the newly created position of director for the MO AFL-CIO’s Missouri Works Initiative’s Worker Wellness Program. (At the end of January 2019, after 40 years of service, John retired as the Director of Training and Workforce Development for the St. Louis-Kansas City Carpenters Regional Council.) As a labor representative, he continues to serve on the St. Louis County Workforce Development Board, Missouri Suicide Prevention Network’s Advisory Committee, and International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plan’s Mental Health Expert Panel. John completed a union apprenticeship in carpentry over 40 years ago and has since earned an associate’s degree in construction management, a bachelor’s degree in architecture, master’s degree in international business, and a doctorate in organizational leadership.
In addition, he completed post-doctoral projects at Harvard University (Trade Union Leadership: 2009) and University of Florida (Marketing & Management: 2014). John was honored with two Fulbright (Specialist) Scholarships in Labor and Industrial Relations (Tokyo, Japan: 2010 and Toronto, Canada: 2015). He has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed and professional journals on issues related to various aspects of workforce development and worker wellness. Since 2018, John has completed a variety of mental health certifications and in Q4-2023 earned his Labor Assistance Professional certification. Dr. Gaal has been married for 41 years, has four children, and is in his 30th year as an adjunct professor at Webster University.