New research for Mates in Mind shows that worries about a lack of work are at the bottom of the list

The biggest cause of anxiety and stress among tradespeople is worrying about workload being too high, according to new research for the Mates in Mind charity. The study found the second and third biggest causes were business partners / colleagues and pressure at work. Worries about lack of work, job security and abuse from customers came at the bottom of the list.

The survey of self-employed and employees of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises looked at the causes of mental health problems, the support used and the types of support that should be available in the future. It found that one in three respondents suffered from severe anxiety.

Researchers said that conventional sources of support such as GPs and counselling are not well regarded within the industry and trade bodies and charities might have more impact. They added that education, risk assessment, prevention and peer support should play as much a part as crisis management.

Chloe Malpass, mental health first-aider at Hudson Contract, said:

We all want to promote good mental health in our industry so if somebody is struggling, they can get the help they need. We applaud Mates in Mind for carrying out this research which has highlighted the main causes of anxiety and stress among the self-employed and employees of smaller businesses. Generally speaking, we find that self-employed tradespeople enjoy their ability to work flexibly, earn more money and be masters of their own destiny, but when they feel anxious or stressed about workloads, it is important they can access timely support.

Hudson Contract has promoted mental health services with the Lighthouse Club since 2016 to draw attention to the charity’s Construction Industry Helpline helpline and mental health app throughout its network. More than 2,500 construction SMEs trust Hudson Contract to deliver audit contract and payroll services, bringing the company into direct contact with tens of thousands of subcontractors every week.

Free, confidential support services include:

Samaritans – call 116 123
Construction Industry Helpline – call 0345 605 1956