The latest TradeBrain monthly insight report, titled “Silence is Deadly: Therapy & Construction”, lays bare the continuing mental health crisis in the trades. Drawing from survey responses across On The Tools’ 8-million-strong online community, the data shows that therapy remains out of reach for many, with only 3 in 10 tradespeople admitting to ever having had therapy. The research suggests this isn’t because support is unavailable, but because stigma continues to stop people from seeking it.
This builds on findings from the 2023 Behind the High-Vis white paper, which showed that while 85% of tradespeople felt therapy would support their mental health, structural and cultural barriers were still widespread. Only 29.5% had access to free counselling, just 22.3% had time off agreements in place to attend sessions, and a mere 6.28% had access to paid therapy through their employer, making support both practically and emotionally out of reach for many.
In response to this crisis, On The Tools launched The Lost City campaign in November 2024. The initiative visualised the 7,000 construction workers lost to suicide in the past decade as an entire city, the size of Cardiff, that’s been silently wiped off the map. The campaign aims to raise £2.5 million to provide free therapy for tradespeople, tackling financial barriers to mental health support.
– Lee Wilcox, Co-founder and CEO of On The Tools, said:
“When nearly 70% of an industry has never even tried therapy, the question isn’t just whether support is available, it’s whether people feel able to access it in the first place. The data in this report should serve as a wake-up call. It’s not enough for mental health support to exist, it has to be accepted and normalised within the community. That starts with breaking the stigma.”
For industry stakeholders, the message is clear: raising awareness is only the first step. Challenging outdated perceptions, encouraging open conversation, and reshaping the narrative around seeking help must follow.
To read the full report and gain access to additional data, sign up to TradeBrain: https://bit.ly/TradeBrainMembership