A new city with 150,000 homes, 80 schools, and 200 apartment blocks could have existed. Instead, it has been lost.

For most in the industry, mental health challenges are more common than coffee breaks: 73% of tradespeople have faced mental ill health.

The industry itself has become a mental health minefield, with construction workers 26% more likely to suffer than those in any other sector.

Day after day, tradespeople arrive at work carrying an unseen load of anxiety, depression, and stress—a weight as real as any building material they handle. Nearly every tradesperson has faced these struggles themselves or knows someone who has.

Behind these staggering numbers are the real lives of those who build our homes, hospitals, and schools—34% are currently suffering, and 41% have contemplated suicide. For too many, the battle has become unbearably silent and profoundly isolating.

Tradespeople are no strangers to hard work, but many are falling into a relentless financial strain and survival cycle. 65% of workers say that financial stress gnaws at their mental health, compounded by a cost-of-living crisis that squeezes tighter every month.

And then there’s the industry norm of delayed or missed payments, with 33% of tradespeople reporting mental health impacts from the constant threat of unpaid bills.

To cope, 64% turn to drugs, alcohol, or both—a tragic and temporary relief. For many, these substances are a crutch to numb the constant worry and fear.

A campaign, ‘The Lost City,’ has been launched to tackle this issue and raise funding for therapy.