Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50 and male construction workers are almost four times more likely to take their own life than the average of those working in any other industry or profession.
The situation is bleak, particularly among the engineering and technology industry with men comprising more than 89% of the workforce and an overwhelming feeling among this sector that men should behave in a certain way against a backdrop of more than one in five in this line of work reporting that they had lost a colleague to suicide.
There is also a significant minority of engineers, more than one in 10, who believe men should view women as property or objects; or express themselves through aggression (verbal, physical or sexual).
These shocking findings were uncovered by EqualEngineers, a company set up by Dr Mark McBride-Wright to address some of the serious issues among the engineering and technology industry by connecting inclusive employers with diverse talent in the sector, when the enterprise launched a 'Masculinity in Engineering' survey in 2019.
Dr Mark McBride-Wright is pictured speaking about EqualEngineers at a conference for global engineering businesses
Now, EqualEngineers is launching its second survey investigating masculinity in engineering. This is a first-of-its-kind research theme for the sector and will build on the findings from the landmark research report two years ago.
The survey will be open for seven weeks, launching on World Mental Health Day on October 10 and closing on November 30.
It will explore if the culture of engineering is affected by the stereotype of what an engineer looks like, and how men are expected to behave. Do men feel included or excluded in the push to increase diversity? Could a more diverse profession benefit both women and men? And why do men feel pressure to behave a certain way in the workplace?
Research shows that suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50, with male construction workers 3.7 times more likely to take their own life. Are men able to be open about their mental health challenges, or is the stigmatisation too great? Does this manifest itself as a macho culture in the workplace or on-site which prevents an inclusive culture?
This survey would like to gather real views and opinions, with an expectation that respondents don't just give the 'right'
