{"id":526542,"date":"2025-09-10T11:05:55","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T10:05:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/?p=526542"},"modified":"2025-09-10T15:51:52","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T14:51:52","slug":"world-suicide-prevention-day-why-construction-needs-to-listen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/opinion\/world-suicide-prevention-day-why-construction-needs-to-listen-10-09-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"World Suicide Prevention Day: why construction needs to listen"},"content":{"rendered":"

Caroline Roodhouse is a writer, speaker and communications consultant specialising in suicide prevention, postvention and compassionate workplace culture. She is the author of the best-selling book, <\/i>Daddy Blackbird: the true story of a family surviving and thriving after loss by suicide<\/b><\/p>\n

It\u2019s World Suicide Prevention Day today (10 September), an opportunity to consider how our language contributes to the stigma of suicide \u2013 and a platform to promote the urgent need for greater awareness, empathy and action.<\/span><\/p>\n

The latest figures show that in 2023, 7,055 people in the UK died by suicide \u2013 the highest total recorded since 1999. This is a devastating number. But behind it is a series of even more devastating stories. One of them is mine.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cConstruction knows how to build things. We need to make space for emotion, for honesty, for life-saving connection\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In 2018, when our children were two and nine, my husband, Steve, died by suicide. Our world fell apart. I was left to guide our girls through the most painful and complex grief. It still cuts deep. It always will.<\/span><\/p>\n

To ease the pain, I started sharing my story. I connected with women in the same position who were comforted by my words and felt less alone. <\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve met men who\u2019ve heard what this tragedy is like for those left behind \u2013 and told me my story shifted something in them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Motivated by these conversations, I turned pain into purpose and started helping teams talk more confidently about these tough topics. I aim to equip people at every level with the courage to have critical conversations. Through this, I\u2019ve discovered how one sector is staring head-on into this crisis more than most.<\/span><\/p>\n

In construction, the risk of suicide is close to four times higher than in the general working population. According to the Office for National Statistics, male construction workers have one of the most elevated suicide rates of any profession, with 34 deaths per 100,000 workers. And it\u2019s rising.<\/span><\/p>\n

No tick-boxes<\/span><\/h3>\n

While numbers like these help us understand the scale of the problem, I firmly believe that stories and language can help us change it. What if the solution actually starts with better conversations? Not pointless tick-box employee assistance programmes or scruffy posters in welfare cabins, but real human connection. A line manager who asks twice. A foreman who cares. Recognition that grief and struggle aren\u2019t signs of weakness \u2013 they\u2019re part of being human. They\u2019re culture, in action.<\/span><\/p>\n

The British Standard on suicide prevention, intervention and postvention (BS 30480) encourages workplaces \u2013 especially in high-risk sectors like construction \u2013 to use compassionate, stigma-free language and have meaningful conversations. It promotes clear communication, training for managers, and cultures where people feel safe to speak up.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some employers are already making progress. Having mental health first-aiders on site and including wellbeing moments in toolbox talks can bring the conversation to life. Engaging managers \u2013 who may well be struggling themselves \u2013 and embedding mental health into supply chain processes can sustain it.<\/span><\/p>\n

But we still have a long way to go.<\/span><\/p>\n

Too many workers still suffer in silence. Too many companies see suicide as rare or remote. And too many men still believe that speaking up will make them look weak, when it may be the strongest thing they ever do.<\/span><\/p>\n

Construction knows how to build things. But now we need to build something new: a culture and a language that makes space for emotion, for honesty, for life-saving connection.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lighthouse, the construction charity, offers a free suicide-awareness course, where employers can learn to recognise the signs of suicidal thoughts and behaviours, and develop the skills to approach and support someone who may be struggling.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lighthouse: The Construction Charity<\/b> offers 24\/7 mental health support at 0345 605 1956 and via lighthouseclub.org<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Mates in Mind<\/b> also provides mental health and wellbeing services tailored to the construction industry at matesinmind.org<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Caroline Roodhouse is a writer, speaker and communications consultant specialising in suicide prevention, postvention and compassionate workplace culture. She is the author of the best-selling book, Daddy Blackbird: the true story of a family surviving and thriving after loss by suicide It\u2019s World Suicide Prevention Day today (10 September), an opportunity to consider how our …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":526540,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[577,567],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-526542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mind-matters","category-opinion"],"yoast_head":"\nWorld Suicide Prevention Day: why construction needs to listen | Construction News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Caroline Roodhouse is a writer, speaker and communications consultant specialising in suicide prevention, postvention and compassionate workplace culture.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/opinion\/world-suicide-prevention-day-why-construction-needs-to-listen-10-09-2025\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"World Suicide Prevention Day: why construction needs to listen\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Caroline Roodhouse is a writer, speaker and communications consultant specialising in suicide prevention, postvention and compassionate workplace culture.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/opinion\/world-suicide-prevention-day-why-construction-needs-to-listen-10-09-2025\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Construction News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CN.community\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-09-10T10:05:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-10T14:51:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cdn.ca.emap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/Caroline-Roodhouse-headshot.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"620\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"414\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"CN Contributor\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@CNplus\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@CNplus\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"CN Contributor\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/opinion\/world-suicide-prevention-day-why-construction-needs-to-listen-10-09-2025\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/opinion\/world-suicide-prevention-day-why-construction-needs-to-listen-10-09-2025\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"CN Contributor\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/ad76189c9e50639a826a2a1049dd4977\"},\"headline\":\"World Suicide Prevention Day: why construction needs to listen\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-10T10:05:55+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-10T14:51:52+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/opinion\/world-suicide-prevention-day-why-construction-needs-to-listen-10-09-2025\/\"},\"wordCount\":645,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/opinion\/world-suicide-prevention-day-why-construction-needs-to-listen-10-09-2025\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn.ca.emap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/Caroline-Roodhouse-headshot.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Mental health\",\"Opinion\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/opinion\/world-suicide-prevention-day-why-construction-needs-to-listen-10-09-2025\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/opinion\/world-suicide-prevention-day-why-construction-needs-to-listen-10-09-2025\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/opinion\/world-suicide-prevention-day-why-construction-needs-to-listen-10-09-2025\/\",\"name\":\"World Suicide Prevention Day: why construction needs to listen | Construction News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/opinion\/world-suicide-prevention-day-why-construction-needs-to-listen-10-09-2025\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/opinion\/world-suicide-prevention-day-why-construction-needs-to-listen-10-09-2025\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn.ca.emap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/Caroline-Roodhouse-headshot.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-10T10:05:55+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-10T14:51:52+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/ad76189c9e50639a826a2a1049dd4977\"},\"description\":\"Caroline Roodhouse is a writer, speaker and communications consultant specialising in suicide prevention, postvention and compassionate workplace culture.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/opinion\/world-suicide-prevention-day-why-construction-needs-to-listen-10-09-2025\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/opinion\/world-suicide-prevention-day-why-construction-needs-to-listen-10-09-2025\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/opinion\/world-suicide-prevention-day-why-construction-needs-to-listen-10-09-2025\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cdn.ca.emap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/Caroline-Roodhouse-headshot.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn.ca.emap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/Caroline-Roodhouse-headshot.webp\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":683},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/opinion\/world-suicide-prevention-day-why-construction-needs-to-listen-10-09-2025\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"World Suicide Prevention Day: why construction needs to listen\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/\",\"name\":\"Construction News\",\"description\":\"Read UK Construction Industry News, Analysis, Opinion and data\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/ad76189c9e50639a826a2a1049dd4977\",\"name\":\"CN Contributor\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/4459a1787866960f6b7327ced9ef282b\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/85e855d414d90661e402540ea1fe31f5f326f533565d30a336e9e247b54c427e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/85e855d414d90661e402540ea1fe31f5f326f533565d30a336e9e247b54c427e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"CN Contributor\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/author\/web-team-test-cron\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"World Suicide Prevention Day: why construction needs to listen | Construction News","description":"Caroline Roodhouse is a writer, speaker and communications consultant specialising in suicide prevention, postvention and compassionate workplace culture.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/opinion\/world-suicide-prevention-day-why-construction-needs-to-listen-10-09-2025\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"World Suicide Prevention Day: why construction needs to listen","og_description":"Caroline Roodhouse is a writer, speaker and communications consultant specialising in suicide prevention, postvention and compassionate workplace culture.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/opinion\/world-suicide-prevention-day-why-construction-needs-to-listen-10-09-2025\/","og_site_name":"Construction News","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CN.community","article_published_time":"2025-09-10T10:05:55+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-09-10T14:51:52+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.ca.emap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/Caroline-Roodhouse-headshot.webp","width":620,"height":414,"type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"CN Contributor","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@CNplus","twitter_site":"@CNplus","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"CN Contributor","Estimated reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/opinion\/world-suicide-prevention-day-why-construction-needs-to-listen-10-09-2025\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/opinion\/world-suicide-prevention-day-why-construction-needs-to-listen-10-09-2025\/"},"author":{"name":"CN Contributor","@id":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/ad76189c9e50639a826a2a1049dd4977"},"headline":"World Suicide Prevention Day: why construction needs to listen","datePublished":"2025-09-10T10:05:55+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-10T14:51:52+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/opinion\/world-suicide-prevention-day-why-construction-needs-to-listen-10-09-2025\/"},"wordCount":645,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/opinion\/world-suicide-prevention-day-why-construction-needs-to-listen-10-09-2025\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.ca.emap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/Caroline-Roodhouse-headshot.webp","articleSection":["Mental health","Opinion"],"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/opinion\/world-suicide-prevention-day-why-construction-needs-to-listen-10-09-2025\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/opinion\/world-suicide-prevention-day-why-construction-needs-to-listen-10-09-2025\/","url":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/opinion\/world-suicide-prevention-day-why-construction-needs-to-listen-10-09-2025\/","name":"World Suicide Prevention Day: why construction needs to listen | Construction News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/opinion\/world-suicide-prevention-day-why-construction-needs-to-listen-10-09-2025\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/opinion\/world-suicide-prevention-day-why-construction-needs-to-listen-10-09-2025\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.ca.emap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/Caroline-Roodhouse-headshot.webp","datePublished":"2025-09-10T10:05:55+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-10T14:51:52+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/ad76189c9e50639a826a2a1049dd4977"},"description":"Caroline Roodhouse is a writer, speaker and communications consultant specialising in suicide prevention, postvention and compassionate workplace culture.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/opinion\/world-suicide-prevention-day-why-construction-needs-to-listen-10-09-2025\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/opinion\/world-suicide-prevention-day-why-construction-needs-to-listen-10-09-2025\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/opinion\/world-suicide-prevention-day-why-construction-needs-to-listen-10-09-2025\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/cdn.ca.emap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/Caroline-Roodhouse-headshot.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.ca.emap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/Caroline-Roodhouse-headshot.webp","width":1024,"height":683},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/opinion\/world-suicide-prevention-day-why-construction-needs-to-listen-10-09-2025\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"World Suicide Prevention Day: why construction needs to listen"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/","name":"Construction News","description":"Read UK Construction Industry News, Analysis, Opinion and data","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/ad76189c9e50639a826a2a1049dd4977","name":"CN Contributor","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/4459a1787866960f6b7327ced9ef282b","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/85e855d414d90661e402540ea1fe31f5f326f533565d30a336e9e247b54c427e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/85e855d414d90661e402540ea1fe31f5f326f533565d30a336e9e247b54c427e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"CN Contributor"},"url":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/author\/web-team-test-cron\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/526542","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=526542"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/526542\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":526561,"href":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/526542\/revisions\/526561"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/526540"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=526542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=526542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=526542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}