Band of Builders is partnering with the NHS to help more people across the construction industry access professional support for anxiety, depression and other mental health challenges.

The partnership is a proud moment for our charity and it will use the reach of our Big Brew initiative to raise awareness of NHS Talking Therapies – a free and confidential service that provides practical tools and techniques to help individuals overcome common anxiety conditions.

This is an important extension of our work in supporting members of the construction community and their families when they are facing difficult circumstances.

The construction industry continues to have one of the highest rates of suicide of any sector in the UK and although significant progress has been made in encouraging people to talk more openly about mental health – such as safe-space events like our Big Brews – there is still a long way to go and much more work to be done.

ABOUT NHS TALKING THERAPIES

The most important thing to know about Talking Therapies is that indivduals do not need to have a diagnosed mental health condition to refer themselves if to NHS talking therapies for anxiety and depression. They can self-refer at any time, as well asking a GP for a referral.

It’s available to anyone living in England and provides psychological treatments for a range of difficulties, including persistent low mood, anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The Talking Therapies page on the NHS website says it offers therapies for anxiety and depression are psychological treatments that may help if a person:

• has persistent low mood
• often feels very anxious about lots of different things
• worries constantly about their health
• fears social situations
• has panic attacks
• has an overwhelming fear of something (phobias), including agoraphobia
• has obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
• has post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• has body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)

PROMOTING NHS TALKING THERAPIES THROUGH BIG BREWS

Our Big Brew campaign will play a central role in spreading the message. The Big Brew is based on the Macmillan Coffee Morning format and was created to encourage people throughout construction to get together over a cuppa, check in with colleagues and create an environment in which conversations about mental health and wellbeing become part of everyday life. These are typically held on construction sites or hosted by builders’ merchants. We are also promoting and signposting Talking Therapies at the events and exhibitions that we host or attend because we want to make sure more people in construction know that help is available and understand how to access it.

No one needs to wait until they reach crisis point before asking for support. Sometimes recognising that things are becoming difficult and having that first conversation can be the most important step.

Find out more about Band of Builders and NHS Talking Therapies or use the NHS service to find and self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies.