'Mental health does not discriminate': Former NHL goalie speaks on mental health struggles in construction workers

According to recent data from the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States, suicide rates among construction workers are the second highest in regards to industries.

The issue is gaining attention due to advocates in Canada as well.

“That industry where there’s middle aged men, where there’s a little bit of masculinity attached to it— because our middle-aged man crisis is off the charts – three in four suicides are men, 75 per cent of suicides are men,” said Corey Hirsch, a former NHL goalie and mental health advocate.

Hirsch came to Saskatchewan last week to speak to the construction industry about mental health.

• Download the CTV News app to get local alerts sent to your device

Having grown up the son of a plumber, he said these are his people and as the suicide crisis is directly impactful to males, he wanted to take this opportunity to share his story.

Playing hockey at such a high level, Hirsch didn’t know how to deal with his mental health, which is why he talks about it now, especially with men.

“Things that were missed with me, things we can try to do better, get people to open up and speak, and not be afraid of talking and going and getting help,” he said.

“There’s nothing scary about it and we need to help people.”

Being an athlete helps, especially when talking to an industry that is still predominantly male.

Which is why Karen Low, the president of the Meritt Contractors Association of Saskatchewan, had Hirsch come speak in Saskatchewan for the first time.

“The culture of our industry is such that you know they’re the rough tough guys that don’t generally talk about their feelings,” Low told CTV News.

”That’s really what we’re trying to change is opening that door to conversation.”

She asked the room at the conference how many people knew someone in construction who had committed suicide. Almost every person put up their hand.

With October 10th being World Mental Health Day, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), Low figured this was a good time to bring Hirsch in.

“We can’t afford to lose any more of our healthy young males to something as needless as suicide, it’s totally preventable … it’s not like cancer where we don’t know how to cure it.”

Low hopes that this presentation opened the door to more open and honest conversations, and that people in the construction industry know they have support and systems to help them.

Hirsch added that just listening could end up saving a life, but also that no one is excluded from mental health struggles.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a doctor, lawyer, construction worker, professional athlete, work in media or television,” he said.

“Whatever it is, it doesn’t discriminate.”