Preventing Work-Related Mental Ill-Health: Construction Companies’ Readiness for Change

The construction industry has high rates of mental ill-health, which are linked to poor psychosocial working conditions. New regulations require employers to identify and control psychosocial hazards and adopt prevention plans to manage mental health. However, with low mental health literacy prevalent in the industry, the extent to which construction organizations are ready to adopt a prevention-based approach remains unclear. This study examined the implementation of a prevention-based mental health program in the Australian civil engineering construction sector. It aimed to provide preliminary evidence on organizational readiness for prevention-based psychosocial risk management and explore how different levels of readiness influenced program implementation outcomes. A comparative case study design involving four participating organizations (i.e., four cases) was employed. Within each case, qualitative data were collected through either individual interviews or group interviews. The data were thematically analyzed following a framework analysis approach. The findings revealed varying levels of organizational readiness, with some not yet ready to change to a prevention-based approach. The study identified a link between higher levels of readiness and better program implementation outcomes. Organizations that more successfully implemented the program demonstrated strong motivation for change, high senior management commitment, clear program objectives, and effective communication of change messages to employees at all levels. The study also found that building organizational capacity for prevention-based mental health management requires active and visible leadership and effective consultation and workforce engagement. Access to external support and resources emerged as a critical enabler of readiness and effective implementation. However, it is noteworthy that the program’s impact appeared to be limited to secondary prevention rather than primary prevention. These findings provide practical implications for supporting construction organizations in building readiness for prevention-based mental health management and achieving regulatory compliance.