Published 29 Nov 2022
S2. Ep19. Talking with Michael Bowles about mental health & suicide in the construction industry
In this week’s podcast episode, we talk with Michael Bowles, a former Estimator who is now a Suicide Researcher & Academic specialising within the construction industry.
In this podcast, we talk about Mick’s experience working in the construction industry and his progression in the role of an Estimator – and then what triggered him into a change of direction and focussing on researching the effects of Suicide within Construction.
Mick discusses his work and research into the topic and some of the research which has been done to date, and also the importance of his research and research like it, for the industry. We talk about some of the traits of the construction industry and perhaps what makes the industry more susceptible to mental health problems and unfortunately higher suicide rates than many other industries.
Amongst other things in this podcast, we discussed:
- What prompted him to change his career direction from being a Chef to a construction professional, and into Research within Construction
- Factors that trigger the high rates of suicide and mental health issues in the construction industry
- Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) – what are they and how can they be applied by employers to support employees
We also encourage anyone who is affected by the topics we discussed in this podcast to get in touch with Mick directly if you are happy to take part in any of the research he is undertaking or if you are touched by anything we covered during this conversation.
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Building Talks Podcast
Talking to professionals in construction, property development, architecture, and beyond.
