The Associated General Contractors of America released a series of video public service ads Dec. 6 that feature real industry professionals who have felt the impact of suffering with mental health issues while trying to maintain the normalcy of day-to-day life and work. These videos are part of the association’s ongoing efforts to combat high suicide rates and improve mental health among the industry’s workers.

The Associated General Contractors of America is launching a new effort to combat high suicide rates and improve mental health among the industry’s workers, the trade group announced today. The new effort, which the association is launching as part of its support for Suicide Prevention Month, is designed to address the high rate of suicide among construction workers.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that the suicide rate for men in construction and excavation was five times greater than the rate of all other work-related fatalities in the construction industry, and these workers are four times more likely to end their own lives than people in the general population.

There’s one critical safety element that the construction industry often overlooks – mental health.