A quarter of Australian men will experience a diagnosed mental health disorder in their lifetime with one in ten males having made a suicide plan in their lifetime.

Suicide is a workplace safety issue that demands the attention of everyone in our industry: the same as putting on hard hats and work boots, checking in with our mates should be just as routine.

The statistics are tough – Construction workers are 8X more likely to die by suicide than a workplace accident, and 2X more likely to die by suicide than other employed men. Women attempt more often, while our young workers are at even higher risk.

However, research has found the work we are all doing is making a difference.

For men, navigating their mental health can feel cold, dark and alone.

Many men live in silence due to the stigma that surrounds mental health broadly, but particularly for men. Clearly, we need to change the discourse around how blokes approach their mental health problems.

So what’s the plan?

I’m going to undertake an Arctic expedition that symbolises the silent struggle that many Australian men are going through each and every day. I will be partnering with and raising funds for MATES in Construction, an organisation dedicated to addressing the very real mental health issues within the construction industry.

It will be cold. It will be dark. I will be alone. 

But, I’ll have support. I’ll be able to complete the journey not just through my own strength and determination, but through the backing of the team that I have behind me, and with the companionship of a local husky dog. 

This journey signifies the mental health journey that many individuals go through. Navigating some of the most challenging proverbial terrain, feeling isolated and alone, and in a dark place with no clear way out.