Association between social environment and mental well-being among migrant construction workers in Chengalpattu District, Tamil Nadu

Mental well-being among migrant construction workers is a critical public health concern, particularly in urbanizing rural areas where social and environmental stressors are prevalent. Limited access to social support, discrimination, and poor living conditions exacerbate psychological distress, impacting health and productivity. This study aims to assess the association of the social environment on the mental well-being of migrant construction workers in Chengalpattu District. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 260 migrant construction workers (aged 18–60 years) in rural Chengalpattu District, Tamil Nadu, using multistage sampling technique. Data were collected via a pre-tested, semi-structured, interviewer administered questionnaire, focusing on social environmental factors (e.g., family separation, trust, leisure, discrimination, language barriers) and mental well-being (WHO-5 Well-Being Index). Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS version 25. Among 260 participants, 61.2% exhibited poor mental well-being. Key social environmental factors included living without family (87.3%), lack of trusted personnel (48.8%), infrequent leisure activities (72.7%), discrimination (69.2%), and language barriers (85.0%). Multivariable logistic regression identified lack of trusted personnel (AOR = 0.15, 95% CI: 0.05–0.45, p < 0.001), infrequent leisure (AOR = 5.23, 95% CI: 2.10–13.02, p < 0.001), discrimination (AOR = 4.69, 95% CI: 1.38–15.68, p = 0.013), and language barriers (AOR = 3.78, 95% CI: 1.45–9.87, p = 0.017) as significant predictors of poor mental well-being. The study emphasizes how social environmental factors significantly affect the mental well-being of migrant construction workers, and how it is crucial to address these through focused interventions such multilingual support, anti-discrimination policies, and recreational initiatives for this vulnerable population.