7 ways to improve mental health in the engineering industry

Problem-solving, precision, innovation: the perfect three words to describe an engineer. Across multiple specialisms, engineers are known for their ability to tackle complex challenges and deliver results under pressure. Yet, behind the technical expertise, mental health often gets overlooked or swept under the rug.

With so many analytical brains contributing to fixing these issues, you can make a hugely positive shift by prioritising mental health as a core part of your organisation’s culture.

Let’s take a look at 7 key ways you can create a psychologically safe environment for engineers at every level.

Common mental health challenges in the engineering industry

TW: mention of suicide and self-harm. If this isn’t the right time for you to read these figures, please skip to the next section.

Why are we talking about mental health in engineering now?

Unfortunately, the prevalence of poor mental health within engineering is a growing issue. This doesn’t just affect individuals, but the growth of the entire sector. And, with 18% of the UK working population working in engineering in some capacity, we’re looking at a large, diverse and dispersed industry.

The numbers

Let’s look at the statistics first. Several mental health surveys have been completed by different professional bodies and reliable sources. It’s a sobering picture.

Hays and ‘The Engineer’ research found:

• 63% feel moderate to extreme stress in their job
• 25% employer doesn’t offer mental health support
• 35% employer doesn’t offer tools to decrease stress
• 15% experienced/are experiencing a mental health condition because of their job
• 3 in 10 rate their own mental health as moderate to poor

Equal Engineers ‘Masculinity in Engineering research’ found:

• 70% of respondents in their 2022 survey “felt men are expected to control their emotions, refrain from showing weakness, fear, or crying openly.”
• 25% of men in engineering consider self-harm or suicide
• Less than 25% felt comfortable discussing issues like depression with employers or colleagues
• Only 50% are comfortable talking about stress with their employer
• Over 80% experience some form of emotional or mental health issue

Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE) found:

• Work-related stress was the biggest cause of poor mental health for 66%
• 40% of people have taken time off work to recover from mental ill health in the last 5 years
• 49% receive no support at work for mental health issues
• 13% of people didn’t know anywhere they could access mental health support

But what specific mental health challenges are we talking about?

There are many causes of mental ill health and the combination of related symptoms will be unique to each individual. But it’s helpful to consider issues that are common to a specific group, like engineers, so that you can mitigate those risks in your organisation.

Broadly speaking, engineers often experience mental health challenges like:

Workplace stress: High workloads, tight deadlines, and complex projects can lead to significant stress and burnout. The nature of engineering work often involves solving intricate and high-stakes problems with huge pressure to avoid mistakes.
Decision fatigue is real and exhausting.

Anxiety: Engineers may experience anxiety due to performance expectations, fear of failure, or the pressure to meet safety standards.

Depression: The isolation and long hours common in some engineering roles can contribute to feelings of loneliness, fatigue, and depression.

Work-life balance issues: Long hours, extensive travel, porous boundaries, and project deadlines can make it difficult for engineers to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Imposter syndrome: Engineers may struggle with self-doubt and fear of not being good enough, particularly in high-pressure roles or when transitioning into new areas of expertise.

Chronic fatigue: Consistent long hours, travelling across time zones, and working on demanding projects can lead to mental and physical exhaustion.

Burnout: The prolonged stress of handling multiple responsibilities and high expectations can lead to burnout, with symptoms such as a lack of motivation and diminished productivity.

Stigma around mental health: Toxic masculinity in the engineering industry contributes to individuals avoiding discussions of mental health challenges. This leads to underreporting, untreated conditions, and the continuation of unhealthy work environments.

Isolation and high-risk work environments: Engineers working on remote sites or in solitary roles may feel disconnected from their colleagues and lack social support. There’s often the added stress of working in dangerous environments. Some engineers regularly face extreme safety concerns, such as the threat of kidnap, as ‘part of the job.’

High responsibility and accountability: Engineers hold significant responsibility, especially when their work impacts safety, performance, and budgets, which can be overwhelming.

Job insecurity: Economic fluctuations, project uncertainty, or company restructuring can create stress and anxiety about job stability. Self-employed engineers have the simultaneous stresses of crunch time at the end of their current project while looking for their next job.

Of course, you want to create a psychologically safe workplace where everyone thrives and keeps your business on the road to success. Perhaps you haven’t previously considered some of these factors. But you’re probably already thinking of ways to support your engineers to tackle these challenges!

We’ve curated a list of seven ways you can improve mental health conditions for the engineers in your care – to help you, help them.

1. Mental health awareness campaigns

Employers can support mental health in engineering by raising awareness through various initiatives. Organising workshops and seminars with mental health professionals tailored to the unique challenges of engineering can provide valuable insights and lay the foundation for eliminating toxic masculinity from your culture.

Digital campaigns using internal communication channels like emails, intranet, and Slack can share resources, tips, and uplifting messages to keep mental health top of mind.

Perhaps sharing your personal stories will encourage employees to share theirs – helping to normalise these types of conversations and, ultimately, reduce stigma.

Additionally, participating in global awareness events like World Mental Health Day or hosting company-specific mental health initiatives can further promote openness and support within the workplace.

2. Mental health training

Knowledge has the power to eliminate stigma. Most organisations don’t have in-house experts to lead mental health training, but there are plenty of options from external sources.

Resilient People provides a holistic approach, which starts with listening to what you think will most benefit your people. Then we can help with things like a mental health risk assessment, specific training programmes and additional support that’s specifically designed to meet the needs of your engineers – and entire staff.

Here are some of the courses we offer:

• Aware: To raise awareness of mental health issues for your whole staff
• Thrive: To equip everyone with the knowledge to spot the signs of potential mental health problems and know what steps to take
• Respond: Leadership training to give you confidence with a foundation of knowledge around mental health, well-being and psychology
• Mental Health First Aid: 2 days accredited course to train designated mental health first aiders (similar to physical health first aiders)
• Trauma Risk Management: This is specific training on how to handle traumatic events in the workplace.

By acknowledging there are issues and investing in their resolution, you’re showing your engineers that you understand and value their mental health. This is powerful in itself.

3. Create a supportive workplace culture

Creating a supportive workplace culture is crucial for promoting employee well-being, particularly when it comes to mental health. When employees feel valued, safe, and supported, they are more likely to thrive, leading to higher productivity, job satisfaction, and overall well-being.

You need to find the right combination of solutions for your organisation, which may include:

• Creating psychological safety throughout your organisation ensures that team members can express concerns or seek help without fear of judgment or retaliation
• Flexible work options, like hybrid models or flexible hours, help improve work-life balance, allowing employees to manage personal and professional responsibilities more effectively
• Implementing buddy systems provides informal peer support, creating a sense of camaraderie and connection that can alleviate feelings of isolation
• Recognition and gratitude play a key role in cultivating a positive atmosphere. Celebrating accomplishments publicly helps employees feel their efforts and skills are seen and appreciated

These practices not only enhance mental health but also contribute to a more engaged, resilient, and productive workforce. The ultimate key to getting this right is listening.

• What do your engineers consider ‘supportive?’ They might have a different perspective than other members of staff.
• Do they feel trusted to get on with their job, or is micromanagement contributing to increased workplace stress levels?
• Are your engineers involved with work social events? Why? Or, more importantly, why not?
• Do the male engineers feel pressure to ‘man up’ and not discuss their feelings and concerns?

There are so many different factors to consider on the ‘create a supportive work environment’ list. And you can’t do it alone.

You’re leading the charge, everyone makes the culture. So the most important thing is to find a way to listen to your engineers when they’re brave enough to share their honesty.

4. Provide access to mental health resources

Providing access to mental health resources in engineering is essential because it equips them with the tools they need to manage workplace stress and mental health issues. Most organisations don’t have in-house mental health experts.
But you can collate a selection of mental health support options, so those in need of help are relieved of that time-consuming part of seeking help.

This might look like:

• Counselling services: Partner with mental health professionals or offer employee assistance programmes (EAPs)
• Wellness apps: Provide subscriptions to mindfulness and mental health apps (e.g. Headspace, Calm)
• Anonymous feedback channels: Set up platforms where employees can share concerns or ideas about workplace well-being in a safe space
• Signposting: List local mental health organisations that offer face-to-face support and well-reputed national networks that provide similar services in a different way (like a phoneline or online chat)

5. Promote a healthy work-life balance

You need to actively promote good work-life balance to your engineers. If you don’t speak out when you see an individual going off-balance, you’re silently agreeing that work is the absolute priority.

You need to explicitly say that you don’t want to see them spending the majority of their precious time at work and things like:

• Make sure holidays are booked and taken
• Ensure that a ‘weekend off’ really means a weekend off
• Set communications boundaries – don’t expect that your engineers are answering your, or clients’, emails from home
• Expect that timely breaks are taken during the working day
• Offer flexible working patterns where possible
• Set a good example by modelling a healthy work-life balance yourself – leaving work at a decent hour, sharing what you do when you’re not at work, and actually taking lunch breaks!

6. Embed mental health practices into daily operations

To rectify the current mental health issues for engineers requires a nuanced approach. You need to start with an audit of where you are right now.

Listen to your engineers and respond with improvements they suggest. But to make a long-term impact, this can’t be considered a ‘one-and-done’ conversation.

To really embed good mental health theories into your organisation, you need to continually monitor and evaluate your practice. Achieving consistency and cultural change needs:

• A clear policy that defines workplace stressors like harassment and bullying, acceptable language (including for discussing mental health issues), and sets clear expectations for staff behaviour – with consequences
• All leadership needs to act quickly, to ensure policies are put into practice, whenever negative behaviours are displayed
• Regularly check in with people and include their viewpoints when decision-making
• Monitor identified areas of workplace stress to see how efficiently your mitigations are working.

7. Collaborate with other industry professionals

You can significantly impact mental health by actively collaborating with other industry professionals, like the Institute of Civil Engineers Benevolent Fund, to foster a supportive environment.

By partnering with engineering organisations, you can help develop industry-wide mental health initiatives that address common challenges and promote well-being across the field.

Additionally, hosting or attending conferences offers an opportunity to exchange best practices, gain insights from peers, and stay informed about the latest strategies for supporting mental health. These collaborative efforts not only enhance individual well-being but also contribute to creating a more compassionate engineering community.

Let’s improve the mental health of your engineers together

In an industry where resilience is key, ensuring mental health support should be just as integral as any technical tool or safety procedure. It takes more than just a one-off training session; it requires an ongoing commitment to change the norms and attitudes surrounding mental health.

As leaders within the industry, it is crucial to set a strong example when it comes to talking openly about stress, well-being, and mental health in the workplace. By normalising these conversations and establishing non-judgemental, open lines of communication, you can begin to dismantle the stereotypes and workplace attitudes that often leave engineers feeling unsupported.

But you also need experts in the field to deliver the right mental health training for your circumstances. Give us a call today and we’ll get started, together.