By: Jennifer Seward

Construction ranks among the top nine occupations with the highest risk for suicide, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

"Demanding physical work, coupled with the stresses of seasonal employment and minimal access to mental health care, often create a workforce vulnerable to mental health challenges like depression, substance abuse and suicidal thoughts," says leading suicide-prevention expert Sally Spencer-Thomas. She is CEO and co-founder of the Carson J. Spencer Foundation, a Colorado-based nonprofit that is finding innovative ways to make suicide prevention a priority in the workplace.

"Everybody knows someone affected by suicide," says Cal Beyer, director of risk management for asphalt paving company Lakeside Industries in Issaquah, Wash. "It's a real, everyday occurrence [that has typically been] swept under the carpet because nobody wants to talk about it." Read more...