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CoINVEST is partnering with RMIT University to deliver articles and insights from around the construction industry. Here we take a look at the relationship between physical pain and mental health in construction roles with Assoc Prof Michelle Turner, from the School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University. 

The Research

Research was conducted by RMIT to understand Australian construction workers’ experiences of bodily pain and its association with mental health. We collected information from construction workers who undertook manual roles and were involved in direct construction activity. We invited participants to complete a short survey and interview. The survey data enabled us to measure mental health and bodily pain and establish how they are related. The interview data enabled us to explore why there was a relationship between mental health and bodily pain. Participants in the study included carpenters, plumbers, labourers, electricians, plasterers, and scaffolders.

Key findings

Our findings reveal that the construction workers experienced body pain and injury originating from work tasks and accepted this as an inevitable consequence of their work. The proportion of participants’ rating their ability to undertake physical tasks as being ‘very good’ steadily declined with age. Importantly however, it was not only older workers who experienced pain. Some workers from the 20-29 and 30-39 age groups regularly experienced pain:

– 17.6% of participants aged 20-29 years experienced lower back pain and joint pain in the fingers, shoulders, hips, knees, and/or ankles daily.

– 13.3% of participants aged 30-39 years experienced lower back pain daily.

– 16.7% of participants aged 30-39 years experienced daily joint pain in the fingers, shoulders, hips, knees, and/or ankles. 

Our results suggest that the association between pain and mental health is complex. The experience and anticipation of pain is shaped by the physical demands of the job, perceived low levels of work control and autonomy, and the aging process. Pain can trigger various pressures and stressors for the worker which may lead to diminished mental health. Some of these psychological demands include;

– The pressure to stay fit in the face of imminent pain and injury, and 

– Feeling trapped in a job that causes pain and distress because of no perceived alternative employment pathways. 

During the interview participants shared their experiences:

“My father actually did this [roof plumber] for 47 years. And he’s nearly 70 now and he can hardly walk.  He can’t use his hands anymore.  What else can’t he do?  He gets gout bad and he’s got arthritis in his fingers. So, that’s what I’ve got to look forward to” – Roof plumber, 45 years old. 

“I have some issues with my neck, shoulders, shoulder blades and ribcage area. So, all my muscles kind of lock up every month. So, I get treatment usually once a month and if it’s really bad, I’ll probably get two or three treatments in the one-week period” – Technician, 43 years old.

Our interview findings also revealed that the experience of bodily pain has a negative impact on the work-life balance of construction workers, as pain can prevent workers from participating successfully in family life and in social and leisure activities. For example, one of the participants shared his experience:

“I don’t really go out and have a drink with my friends and whatnot anymore, and when the pain’s quite bad I don’t really want to leave the house at all. The social side of things really probably gets impacted quite heavily and I think that’s definitely not good for me.  I tend to get a bit wound up in my own mind” – Carpenter, 29 years old.

Implications for practice

Given the high prevalence of pain and injury in the construction workforce and the resultant physical pain-mental health interaction, it is probable that many workers unknowingly experience poor mental health. This is illustrated by a participant who was asked how his physical pain affected his mental health: “I’ve never thought about the mental side of it. I mean obviously it gets me”. Due to a lack of awareness of the link between physical pain and mental health, construction workers may not be mindful of their own diminished mental health, nor may they seek the support and treatment they require.

Work programs designed to promote mental health should not be considered in isolation of the broader work environment. Instead, workers’ health should be considered holistically and interventions should focus on the work characteristics which lead to physical and mental strain. 

Raising awareness among workers of the impact of physical pain on mental health is important. Resources relating to pain management may assist workers to be proactive in preventing and managing pain, but it is also important to fully appreciate the links between pain and mental health in manual construction workers. 

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the most common work-related conditions in Australia and are associated with hazardous manual tasks and poorly designed work. Risk factors associated with work-related MSDs include repetition, force required, awkward posture, vibration, and contact stress, all of which are physical risk factors inherent in manual, non-managerial work tasks. It is recommended that further attention be given to the use of machinery, equipment, and technology in the redesign of work tasks which can decrease construction workers likelihood of injury and pain. 

More information on the bodily pain and mental health research can be found here.