NT tradies at mental breaking point and in need of trained mates
Construction workers in the Northern Territory are battling some of the worst rates of psychological distress and suicidal ideation in the country, but new peer-reviewed research has found that a Queensland-born program is turning the tide.
The peer-reviewed study, led by MATES in Construction (Qld & NT) with Griffith University, surveyed 589 workers across 12 NT construction sites. It found sites that had achieved full accreditation in the MATES program recorded a 13.3% drop in mental health stigma compared to sites yet to start.
The MATES in Construction model trains workers on three levels. Every worker on site receives general mental health awareness training. Some are trained further as 'Connectors' - mates equipped to recognise the signs of distress and guide a colleague toward support. A smaller group complete ASIST training, qualifying them to step in during an immediate crisis. A site becomes formally ‘accredited’ once it has embedded all three tiers into everyday practice.
CEO of MATES in Construction (Qld & NT) Nick Thompson said a newly published study in Mental Health Science had confirmed what those on the tools already know: when construction sites in the Northern Territory commit to looking out for one another, culture starts to shift.
“The findings lay bare the scale of the problem in a workforce that is remote, mobile, and often isolated from support,” Mr Thompson said.
"The research also points to a clear solution: trained mates on site, empowered to notice when a colleague is struggling and start a conversation before it's too late.
"The mental health trends found among NT construction workers are sobering, but the industry's response to accredited peer support gives real hope for a path to improvement," he said.
Master Builders NT CEO Sallyann Innes said the report reflected an industry willing to back its own.
"The statistics are a challenging read, but the industry community coming together and supporting each other is a strong representation of what is working well across the NT construction industry," Ms Innes said.
According to the study, workers on sites engaged in accreditation described stronger peer support, greater willingness to open up, and a growing confidence to notice when a mate is doing it tough and start a conversation.
Workers describe this shift firsthand. One said the training was "getting the blokes talking a bit more, where before there was nothing" and that it was "blowing the mental health issue out of the water … just helping blokes who would not usually get it."
Another said knowing support was there made all the difference: "If I ever had thoughts of suicide, if I ever had issues, I feel that I could definitely open up to my colleagues."
For one worker whose site had lost a colleague to suicide, the value of a constant MATES presence was unmistakable: "MATES in Construction really rallied around us and helped me and my colleagues get through that. I think it is important to have someone that has that on every site."
The research team notes that measurable, site-level change in a mobile and dispersed workforce takes time to emerge and calls for longer-term evaluation.
However, given evaluation results MATES in Construction is calling on more NT sites to begin the accreditation journey, urging the industry to build on the momentum the report has revealed.
