Construction workers discussing mental health in P.A. (Jaryn Vecchio/paNOW Staff)

By Jaryn Vecchio

Mental Health

‘There’s nothing manly about suffering in silence:’ Mental health becoming a priority for P.A. construction workers

Nov 2, 2022 | 5:00 PM

Views on mental health within Prince Albert’s construction sector appear to be trending in the right direction.

That’s according to Allan Kehler, a mental health advocate, who spoke at a meeting put on by the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA) on Wednesday in P.A.

Around 50 local workers took part with some even sharing their own experiences with the entire group.

Kehler told reporters if this meeting happened 10 years ago, there would hardly be anyone in attendance.

“More and more people are stepping up and saying, ‘this is what I’ve gone through, these are some of my lived experiences,’ and when an individual is able to go to that place of vulnerability, (it helps) people do the same.”

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Allan Kehler. (Jaryn Vecchio/paNOW Staff)

This was echoed by Daryl Blais, a former electrician, who attended the meeting. He explained his understanding of what mental health is has changed drastically over the years.

“(I thought) it’d be more linked to psychological illnesses that required someone to be institutionalized, something really extreme, now when I hear ‘mental health’ it’s just a form of wellness that we need to make sure we’re keeping care of.”

He added his kids and how much they love him were what helped him better understand.

“It made me start to think more about myself, that I am a loveable person,” Blais said.

According to the SCSA, around 20 per cent of construction workers in the province have struggled with their mental health within the past six months. They added the sector appears to be struggling more, on average, than the entire province as a whole.

“There are seasonal factors, the work isn’t consistent all the time, they’re putting in 12, 15-hour days, they’re away from their support systems if they’re working remotely,” said Shannon Friesen, CEO of the Saskatoon Construction Association who drove up to P.A. to take part in the meeting.

There’s a belief this number could actually be much higher as men, who make up the majority of the construction workforce, are more reluctant to talk about these issues than women.

While this continues to be a hurdle, Kehler believes more men are starting to realize that talking doesn’t make them less of a man.

“People are embracing the fact that there’s nothing manly about suffering in silence, they’re starting to put action towards a lot of the statistics out there.”

Moving forward, Kehler wants to see more meetings like this held.

He noted having just one person get the courage to speak up after attending one can possibly have a “ripple effect” as one of the best ways to help people speak up is by showing them someone else is also going through what they are.

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Jaryn.Vecchio@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow