James Donaldson on Mental Health - Opinion: It’s time to address mental health, suicide in heavy industry

Trauma pervades all three industries.

Serious illness and death are a fact of life.

The fishing community is particularly tight knit.

The rapidly changing weather at sea has led to tragic outcomes, as it did twice in recent months, with the loss of the Lily Jean of Gloucester, and the sinking of the Yankee Rose off the coast of Provincetown.

A total of eight lives were tragically lost.

Several of the men interviewed spoke of how the grief from such loss never goes away and can lead to substance use.

At the same time, men reported a lack of resources to help them manage the grief.

The three heavy industries all come with an expectation that you must “tough it out,” no matter the challenges you might be facing personally.

More must be done to support all men working in heavy industry.

When workers do better, business does better.