CFMA Responds to CDC Report on Suicide Rate by Occupational Group

PRINCETON, N.J. – Statistics released from the CDC on July 1 show that workers in construction and extraction have a 53.3 percent rate of suicide, which is second only to workers in the farming, fishing and forest occupational group (84.5 percent). With 17 states taking part in the CDC’s National Violent Death Reporting System, this data heightens the need to address suicide prevention and mental health promotion in the construction industry.

The Construction Financial Management Association has taken a leading role in efforts to shatter the stigma surrounding mental illness and prevent suicide in construction. Most recently, CFMA formed the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention to gather and disseminate key information and resources, share education and programming for CFMA’s 94 chapters across North America and promote initiatives to support suicide prevention.

Stuart Binstock, CFMA president & CEO, further details, “At CFMA’s 2016 Annual Conference & Exhibition, we brought the topic of suicide prevention to an audience of our nearly 1,300 attendees by offering two general education sessions and presentations to chapter leaders, providing flash drives and introducing our new online resource at www.cfma.org/suicideprevention. Efforts are also underway to encourage our industry partners to join the alliance with the ultimate goal of preventing death by suicide in the construction industry.”

CFMA’s Valley of the Sun Chapter recently presented the inaugural Suicide Prevention Summit, a collaboration between construction and mental health professionals to discuss suicide prevention for the construction industry. The event provided a wealth of knowledge and resources to more than 100 industry professionals in the Phoenix , Arizona area. CFMA’s Charlotte, North Carolina and Portland, Washington chapters have similar events scheduled for later this fall, and additional CFMA chapters are already planning events for 2017.

The newly released Construction + Suicide Prevention publications by Cal Beyer, director of risk management at Lakeside Industries and executive committee member of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, and Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas, CEO and co-founder of the Carson J. Spencer Foundation, mental health advocate and survivor of her brother’s suicide, address why suicide prevention is imperative in the construction industry and provide 10 action steps companies can take to save lives.