Mental health on and off the roof

By Emma Peterson. 

Paul Reed of Roofers In Recovery shares insights on the power of compassion and conversation when it comes to supporting roofing professionals’ mental health.  

When we think of the tolls the roofing industry puts on workers, we often think of the physical demands of the job. But going hand-in-hand with the physical demands are mental health challenges. In this episode of Roofing Road Trips®, Megan Ellsworth spoke to Paul Reed from Roofers in Recovery about the importance of supporting the mental health of roofing professionals.  

Roofing is a high-pressure job that has a lot of risks and demands. Paul shared some eye-opening statistics about the safety in the industry, saying, “The CEO of NRCA was speaking and he shared, ‘In 2023, roughly 38 people passed away due to a roofing accident, such as falling off a roof, and that's tragic. We need to do more. We need to do better. But we also saw over 5,000 people in our industry who commit suicide from mental health and drug addiction, which a lot of times are kind of tied in together.’” These mind-blowing and tragic statistics truly illuminate the importance of not just physical safety in the roofing industry, but the crucialness of mental health support as well. With those numbers, it’s likely someone in every company is struggling.  

There are many reasons this number is so high, from on the roof concerns like falls to office stressors like economic uncertainty and pre-existing individual challenges. But no matter the source, it is crucial to not overlook the effect that these pressures have on professionals. That’s where Roofers In Recovery comes in. Not only do they help individual professionals get the help they need, but they are also developing resources to help companies address mental health and help their employees before things get dire. He gave an example, sharing, “A lot of companies do the toolbox talks every morning and we discuss ladder safety, and we discuss fall protection and all those things. So we came up with that worksheet that brings mental health into those spaces.”   

This worksheet is just the first step, but it's an accessible way for companies to start opening up conversations where people can be comfortable with sharing that they are struggling and having someone listen to them. Because even just listening to someone can be a powerful tool to supporting their mental health. Paul knows this firsthand with some of his personal struggles, sharing, “A lot of times, people that are going through it, they just want someone to say something to them. I know when I was going through my issues, and I was literally in a mental hospital a week before I went to rehab, I just wanted someone to care about me, to ask me if I was okay. I just wanted to talk to somebody.” 

Read the transcript or Listen to the episode to learn more about how you can prioritize mental health in your roofing company.