BackgroundMales employed in the construction industry have high rates of suicide. Although reasons underpinning this risk are multifaceted, poor help-seeking and stigma are represent major contributors. Males in the construction industry are also exposed to other risk factors for mental ill health and suicide, including unemployment. Sigma-reducing interventions that are accessible and attractive to recently unemployed males in the construction industry could therefore improve help-seeking, and address depression and suicidal behaviour in this population.Methods/DesignContact&Connect will use a parallel individual randomized design to evaluate the effectiveness of a multimedia-based intervention aimed at reducing stigma. The intervention consists of a package of 12 brief contact interventions (BCIs) delivered over a six month period. BCIs will direct participants to informational programs and microsites. Content will address three major themes: debunking depression myths and stereotypes, normalisation, and empowerment. Target enrolment is 630 (315 in each arm), each to be followed for 12 months. Eligible participants will be males, between 30 and 64 years, unemployed at the time of recruitment, registered with Incolink (a social welfare trustee company for unemployed members of the construction industry), and own a smart phone with enabled internet connectivity.DiscussionAt present, there are no programs that have been shown to be effective in reducing stigma in the blue-collar male population. Contact&Connect promises to provide a tailored, efficient, and scalable approach to reducing stigma, depressive symptoms and suicidality among unemployed males.Trial registrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Register ACTRN12615000792527 (date of registration: 30 July, 2015).Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-015-2394-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
This study sought to understand the prevalence of harmful alcohol use in a sample of Australian male construction industry apprentices and also examine alcohol-related violence. Although previous Australian research indicated that 45% of construction industry apprentices had Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test scores indicative of harmful drinking, the current study identified that 66% of construction industry apprentices were drinking at harmful levels. It also identified positive correlations between harmful drinking behavior and alcohol-related violence (and precursors of violence such as verbal abuse). The article notes the role of masculine identity in alcohol consumption, particularly as it relates to the male-dominated construction industry. The article concludes by making recommendations for implementation of preventative education campaigns in apprentices' workplaces (or in training colleges), as it provides opportune settings to focus on high-risk groups, which are otherwise often difficult to access.
This study reports on the prevalence of harmful alcohol use in a sample of male Australian construction industry apprentices, and also discusses alcohol-related harms. Data was gathered from 108 male construction industry apprentices (predominantly 15-25 years of age). Findings indicate that approximately two thirds (65.7%) of apprentices had an AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) score over 8, which place them in a 'harmful' alcohol consumption category. There was a positive correlation between 'harmful' alcohol consumption and numerous alcohol-related behavioral harms. Thus, what is clear is that the greater apprentices' score on the AUDIT test (which measures their harmful alcohol consumption), the more likely it is that they will experience alcohol-related behavioral harms, including missing classes, drunk driving, risky sex, memory loss, poor physical health, expressing verbal, physical and racial abuse, physical injuries, property damage, poly-substance use, relationship difficulties, financial difficulties and dangerous behavior. We can conclude that this is a high risk group for alcohol-related harms, and as such the paper makes suggestions for implementing focused preventive strategies in apprentices training environments and workplaces.
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