Mental Health: A Real Conversation Starter

Imagine this situation. You have an accident, perhaps a fall at work, or maybe a tackle that went pear-shaped on the footy field. Your leg hurts, and everyone around you sees the pain that you are feeling. You are taken to hospital. An X-ray reveals you have fractured your tibia. ‘You’ll be ok,’ says a doctor. ‘You’ll be in plaster for a while with crutches, then we’ll get you back on your feet.’

If only all conditions were as easy to identify and fix. But… and it is an all too tragic ‘but’…the reality is far removed from simply holding some film up to a light and making a diagnosis.

In Australia, about 3,000 people commit suicide a year. That’s about 8 per day. There is no way to look at the statistics without a sense of utter alarm. Taking one’s own life is the number one cause of death among Australian men under 44 years of age, and it is the second leading killer of Australian men aged between 45 to 54. Sadly, tradies, particularly those working in the construction industry, have one of the highest male suicide rates in Australia. Every second day, an Aussie tradie takes his life.

Despite all the progress that has been made in breaking down barriers and stigmas attached to mental health,
enormous challenges remain. Many blue-collar workplaces are still strongly influenced by masculine cultures which
prevent or hamper true emotions and feelings being shown. ‘Come on mate, man-up. Don’t be weak.’ The damage such a
culture can cause can be irreparable.

Brisbane carpenters Ed Ross and Dan Allen are helping to change the culture. In 2018, they established the social work wear company, TradeMutt, following the suicide of one of Dan’s close mates in 2015. Since then, they’ve also established This Is A Conversation Starter Foundation (TIACS) which supports people suffering from mental health issues. Now, the two organisations are working together to start conversations about mental health on a daily basis in a bright and fun way, but TIACS also follows up those conversations by providing free access to mental health support for the tradie community which is funded through TradeMutt’s workwear sales.

“It’s been amazing to see so many large companies jumping on board and decking out their teams in conversations starting workwear. We get reports every day from these businesses about the positive impact a simple shirt has
had among their staff and the overnight shift in culture when wearing them. There has never been a more important time for the industry to come together and not only bring awareness to the topic of mental health, but actively having
those conversations among staff is where the real magic happens,” says Dan Allen.

Blackwoods is a staunch supporter of this cause, and offers TradeMutt products, as well as the Workhorse range from Beyond Blue. “We encourage businesses, from employers to employees, to join us by purchasing and wearing the products to help spread the word about a distressing problem that we must work together to solve,” says Andrew Dyke Blackwoods General Manger, Eastern Region.

“In conjunction with this, please, if you are struggling with mental health worries, or you recognise someone who is or may be suffering, please reach out to the many organisations that are doing vital work in this area.”

If you, or someone you know, needs help, visit:
Lifeline: www.lifeline.org.au or 13 11 14
Beyond Blue: www.beyondblue.org.au or 1300 224 636
Black Dog Institute: www.blackdoginstitute.org.au
MensLine Australia: www.mensline.org.au
Gotcha4Life: www.gotcha4life.org
Mates in Construction: www.mates.org.au
This is a Conversation Starter: www.tiacs.org or 0488 846 988