Synthesis of Information Related to Highway Practices. Topic 56-04. Practices on Mental Health, Suicide Prevention, and Addiction Mitigation in Construction and Maintenance

Highway workers confront alarming statistics regarding mental illnesses, suicide, and addiction. Approximately 16.5% of construction workers report heavy drinking, 11.6% engage in illicit drug use, and 14.3% battle substance misuse addictions. Opioid overdoses, responsible for 47,600 deaths in 2017, disproportionately affected the construction and extraction industry, contributing to 26% of these fatalities. Disturbingly, the construction sector faces elevated suicide rates, five times the rate of the general population. Males in the construction field exhibit notably higher suicide rates than any other industry. This trend is further exacerbated in transportation projects, where extended and irregular working hours, coupled with prolonged work-related travel, make the industry even more vulnerable. Initiatives spearheaded by industry and trade organizations aim to educate and promote mental wellbeing and build resiliency. However, in the transportation sector, these initiatives need broader acceptance, not only by contractors but also by state departments of transportation (DOTs), to establish a culture prioritizing mental wellbeing for suicide and substance abuse prevention. As the industry grapples with endemic mental health challenges, there is significant variability in organizational awareness and implementation strategies across different state DOTs. The objective of this synthesis is to document state DOT practices on education and promotion of mental health, suicide prevention, and addiction mitigation for highway workers.

• Record URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5715

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $55000
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 20-05, Topic 56-04

• Sponsor Organizations:

  National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC    20001

  American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

  444 North Capitol Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Wadsworth, Trey

• Performing Organizations:
  ,    

  Colorado State University, Fort Collins

  Fort Collins, CO  United States  80523
• Principal Investigators:

  Mehany, Mohammed

• Start Date: 20241002
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Construction and maintenance personnel; Drug addiction; Literature reviews; Mental condition; State departments of transportation; Suicide
• Subject Areas: Construction; Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01920387
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 20-05, Topic 56-04
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: May 31 2024 8:22PM