“You Have to Make It Normal, That’s What We Do”: Construction Managers’ Experiences of Help-Offering

Men are at a higher risk for suicide when compared to women, with those in male-dominated industries, such as construction, being particularly vulnerable. These industries are typically characterised as ‘macho’ environments – endorsing traditional masculine norms, higher levels of mental health stigma, and delayed help-seeking. Settings-based approaches to health promotion identify the workplace as a promising setting for engaging men around their mental health. Although managers play a key role in this process by connecting workers in distress with mental health supports, research exploring their experiences of this is limited. Five focus groups were conducted with managers in the construction industry (n=33) to explore their perspectives on supporting and offering help to workers in distress. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Findings led to three key themes: (1) Creating the right environment with subthemes focused on fostering an open culture around mental health on-site and overcoming systemic challenges; (2) Navigating the practice of help-offering; and (3) The right tools for the job. Findings highlight the need for manager training, tailored to the construction industry, as part of a multi-faceted approach to help-offering within the industry.