What Mental Health Stressors Do Hispanic Construction Workers Actually Care About?
Publication: Construction Research Congress 2024
ABSTRACT
Increasing suicides among construction workers has put the spotlight firmly on understanding how the industry is contributing to the poor mental health of its employees. Studies have identified several work-related attributes that negatively impact the mental health of workers. However, much remains unknown on which of these work-related stressors are perceived by Hispanic workers as most relevant or impactful. Using self-report survey, the authors analyzed the responses of 91 Hispanic construction workers who were asked to rank their perceived importance of stressors commonly associated with the construction industry. The results were analyzed across Hispanic workers employed to work primarily in the field vs. those employed to work in desk jobs within the construction industry. The findings presented provide foundational knowledge that would support the determination, testing, and creation of personalized interventions that organizations would need to consider improving the mental health of employees from different socio-economic backgrounds.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this chapter.
REFERENCES
Ahmedani, B. K., et al. (2017). Major physical health conditions and risk of suicide. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 53(3), 308–315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2017.04.001.
Alegría, M., Chatterji, P., Wells, K., Cao, Z., Chen, C.-N., Takeuchi, D., Jackson, J., and Meng, X.-L. (2008). Disparity in depression treatment among racial and ethnic minority populations in the United States. Psychiatric Services, 59(11), 1264–1272. https://doi.org/10.1176/ps.2008.59.11.1264.
Arciniega, G. M., Anderson, T. C., Tovar-Blank, Z. G., and Tracey, T. J. (2008). Toward a fuller conception of Machismo: Development of a traditional Machismo and Caballerismo Scale. Journal of counseling psychology, 55(1), 19.
Berger, M., and Sarnyai, Z. (2014). “More than skin deep”: Stress Neurobiology and Mental Health Consequences of Racial Discrimination. Stress, 18(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.3109/10253890.2014.989204.
Bhandari, S., Sherratt, F., and Stoddard, E. (2023). A critical assessment of mental health research in the construction industry, Proceedings of the CIB W099/123 Annual Conference – Digital Transformation of Health and Safety in Construction, Porto, Portugal, 21-22 June 2023.
Boal, W. L., Li, J., Dong, X. S., and Sussell, A. (2020). Health Risk Behavior Profile of construction workers, 32 states, 2013 to 2016. Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 62(7), 493–502. https://doi.org/10.1097/jom.0000000000001876.
Boschman, J. S., van der Molen, H. F., Sluiter, J. K., and Frings-Dresen, M. H. W. (2013). Psychosocial work environment and mental health among construction workers. Applied Ergonomics, 44(5), 748–755. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2013.01.004.
Bowen, P., Edwards, P., and Lingard, H. (2013). Workplace stress experienced by construction professionals in South Africa. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 139(4), 393–403. https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)co.1943-7862.0000625.
Bowen, P., Edwards, P., Lingard, H., and Cattell, K. (2014). Occupational stress and job demand, control and support factors among construction project consultants. International Journal of Project Management, 32(7), 1273–1284.
Brown, S. B., and D’Angelo, K. (2021). Financial insecurity. Social Emergency Medicine, 199–215. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65672-0_12.
Campbell, M. A., and Gunning, J. G. (2020). Strategies to improve mental health and well-being within the UK construction industry. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers-Management, Procurement and Law, 173(2), 64–74.
Chan, A. P., Nwaogu, J. M., and Naslund, J. A. (2020). Mental ill-health risk factors in the construction industry: Systematic Review. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 146(3). https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)co.1943-7862.0001771.
Curtain, S. C., Warner, M., and Hedegaard, H. (2016, April). Suicide rates for females and males by race and ethnicity : United States, 1999 and 2014. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved May 7, 2023, from https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/39033.
Dong, X. S., Largay, J. A., Wang, X., Cain, C. T., and Romano, N. (2017). The construction face database — codifying the NIOSH FACE reports. Journal of Safety Research, 62, 217–225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2017.06.017.
Dworkin, E. R. (2018). Risk for mental disorders associated with sexual assault: A meta-analysis. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 21(5), 1011–1028. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838018813198.
Folsom, D. P., et al. (2007). A longitudinal study of the use of mental health services by persons with serious mental illness: Do Spanish-speaking Latinos differ from English-speaking Latinos and Caucasians? American Journal of Psychiatry, 164(8), 1173–1180. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2007.06071239.
Fowler, R. C., Fogarty, L. A., and Young, D. (1988). San Diego Suicide Study: III. Relationships Between Diagnoses and Stressors. Archives of General Psychiatry, 45(6), 589–592. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.1988.01800300087012.
Gullestrup, J., Lequertier, B., and Martin, G. (2011). MATES in construction: impact of a multimodal, community-based program for suicide prevention in the construction industry. International journal of environmental research and public health, 8(11), 4180–4196.
Han, R. T., et al. (2018). Long-term isolation elicits depression and anxiety-related behaviors by reducing oxytocin-induced GABAergic transmission in central amygdala. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnmol.2018.00246.
Houle, J. N., and Light, M. T. (2017). The Harder They Fall? sex and race/ethnic specific suicide rates in the U.S. foreclosure crisis. Social Science & Medicine, 180, 114–124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.03.033.
Lahelma, E., Lallukka, T., Laaksonen, M., Saastamoinen, P., and Rahkonen, O. (2011). Workplace bullying and common mental disorders: A follow-up study. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 66(6). https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.2010.115212.
Lingard, H., and Turner, M. (2022). Making time for life: A whole-of-industry initiative to reducing work hours and promoting health and gender inclusion in project-based construction work. Project leadership and society, 3, 100065.
Liu, T., and Waterbor, J. W. (1994). Comparison of suicide rates among industrial groups. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 25(2), 197–203. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.4700250206.
Love, P. E., Edwards, D. J., and Irani, Z. (2010). Work stress, support, and mental health in construction. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 136(6), 650–658. https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)co.1943-7862.0000165.
Menaghan, E. G., and Lieberman, M. A. (1986). Changes in depression following divorce: A panel study. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 48(2), 319–328. https://doi.org/10.2307/352399.
Nwaogu, J. M., Chan, A. P. C., Hon, C. K. H., and Darko, A. (2020). Review of Global Mental Health Research in the construction industry. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 27(2), 385–410. https://doi.org/10.1108/ecam-02-2019-0114.
O’Sullivan, M. J., and Lasso, B. (1992). Community Mental Health Services for Hispanics: A test of the culture compatibility hypothesis. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 14(4), 455–468. https://doi.org/10.1177/07399863920144004.
Oswald, D., Borg, J., and Sherratt, F. (2019). Mental health in the construction industry: A rapid review. Proc. 27th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC). https://doi.org/10.24928/2019/0141.
Oyesanya, M., Lopez-Morinigo, J., and Dutta, R. (2015). Systematic review of suicide in economic recession. World Journal of Psychiatry, 5(2), 243–254. https://doi.org/10.5498/wjp.v5.i2.243.
Paniagua, F. A. (2005). Assessing and treating culturally diverse clients: A practical guide. SAGE Publications.
Peterson, C., Sussell, A., Li, J., Schumacher, P. K., Yeoman, K., and Stone, D. M. (2020). Suicide rates by industry and occupation — National Violent Death Reporting System, 32 states, 2016. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 69(3), 57–62. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6903a1.
Pirzadeh, P., Lingard, H., and Zhang, R. P. (2022). Job quality and construction workers’ mental health: Life course perspective. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 148(12), 04022132.
Pompili, M., Sher, L., Serafini, G., Forte, A., Innamorati, M., Dominici, G., Lester, D., Amore, M., and Girardi, P. (2013). Posttraumatic stress disorder and suicide risk among veterans. Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease, 201(9), 802–812. https://doi.org/10.1097/nmd.0b013e3182a21458.
Powell, A., and Sang, K. J. (2013). Equality, diversity and inclusion in the construction industry. Construction Management and Economics, 31(8), 795–801. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2013.837263.
Sagar, S. S., Lavallee, D., and Spray, C. M. (2009, March 1). Coping with the effects of fear of failure: A preliminary investigation of young elite athletes. Human Kinetics. Retrieved April 13, 2023, from https://doi.org/10.1123/jcsp.3.1.73.
Sang, K. J., Dainty, A. R., and Ison, S. G. (2007). Gender: A risk factor for occupational stress in the architectural profession? Construction Management and Economics, 25(12), 1305–1317. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446190701546177.
Santucci, K. (2012). Psychiatric disease and drug abuse. Current Opinion in Pediatrics, 24(2), 233–237. https://doi.org/10.1097/mop.0b013e3283504fbf.
Sutherland, V., and Davidson, M. J. (1989). Stress among construction site managers — a preliminary study. Stress Medicine, 5(4), 221–235. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.2460050405.
Tijani, B., Nwaeze, J. F., Jin, X., and Osei-Kyei, R. (2021). Suicide in the construction industry: Literature review. International Journal of Construction Management, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1080/15623599.2021.2005897.
Tyler, S., Hunkin, H., Pusey, K., Gunn, K., Clifford, B., McIntyre, H., and Procter, N. (2022). Disentangling rates, risk, and drivers of suicide in the construction industry. Crisis. https://doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910/a000885.
Wells, K. B., Hough, R. L., Golding, J. M., Burnham, M. A., and Karno, M. (1987). Which Mexican-americans underutilize health services? American Journal of Psychiatry, 144(7), 918–922. https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.144.7.918.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
History
Published online: Mar 18, 2024
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Business management
- Business organizations
- Construction companies
- Construction engineering
- Construction industry
- Construction management
- Employees
- Employment
- Engineering fundamentals
- Health hazards
- Labor
- Occupational safety
- Organizations
- Personnel management
- Practice and Profession
- Public administration
- Public health and safety
- Safety
- Surveys (non-geomatic)
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.