"Vital" mental health support for construction workers piloted in Kent
Figures show those in the industry are four times more likely to take their own life than the national average
Last updated 10th Sep 2025
A new project hoping to improve the mental health of construction workers in Kent and Medway is being piloted.
We can reveal seven thousand people in the industry have lost their lives to suicide in the last decade, four times the national average
The Hard Hats Project was set up by Therapy Partners, based in Maidstone.
The project was one of eight projects to be awarded funding through the Kent & Medway Better Mental Health and Wellbeing Community Fund.
Each project has been set up to help reduce suicide and self-harm in Kent and Medway
Leader of the project and CEO of Therapy Partners, Alan Heyes, tells Greatest Hits Radio:
“Suicide rates are four times the national average in construction."
"Employees, mostly men, need help to overcome mental health stigmas and the social isolation that comes from working shifts, sometimes a long way from home.
“Hard Hat Minds is designed to meet workers on site, on their terms. Our goal is to build trust and create a model of support that could be rolled out across the sector.”
7000 construction workers have taken their own lives in the last decade, according to Therapy Partners.
Alan explains it's largely down to "lots of work-related stress":
"Budgets are tight, deadlines are tight, it's physically demanding and you work on different locations often."
"You're always on the chase so a lot of people in the sector suffer from anxiety and depression."
"It's male dominated as well so there's this 'man-up' type of approach to stuff. This makes it really difficult for people to ask for help."
"We're going to try and break down the stigma and work with managers to identify people that are most at risk and offer support."
Run by the Kent and Medway Suicide Prevention Programme, the Community Fund has supported over 100 projects over the past eight years dedicated to helping local residents get back to better mental health.
Diane Morton, KCC Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, a registered mental health nurse and trained counsellor, said: “The rates of suicide for middle-age men, particularly those working in typically masculine sectors like construction, are truly devastating and unacceptable. But every suicide is a tragedy that has deep, far and wide impacts.
"Having experienced losing a loved one to suicide, I am passionate about making suicide everybody's business - knowing where to find help and how to talk through difficult emotions.
"By taking support directly into the workplace, projects like Hard Hat Minds can save lives. I look forward to seeing the positive impact it, and the other excellent schemes awarded this year's Community Fund grants, have in our communities.”
The project will initially be offered at one site with the hope of receiving further funding and expanding.
For access to local mental health support services, please visit hubofhope.co.uk.