Construction workers are at higher risk of suicide. Here's how to look out for them

When a professional football career was no longer on the horizon for 19-year-old Simon Tyler, he turned to construction work.

"A lot of my mates were doing it … and the industry had that kind of camaraderie, team mateship, that I really enjoyed at the footy club," explains Dr Tyler, now 37.

While construction offered those positive elements, there were aspects he wasn't expecting that ultimately had a negative effect on his mental health.

"Exposure to really long work hours, a lot of job insecurity, low job control, drinking and drug use as a way to cope — that jumped out at me.

"The culture of, 'lets just push forward, don't talk about our struggles.'"

Dr Tyler, who now works as a men's mental health researcher and psychologist treating men experiencing mental health and suicidal cha