Mental Health in Later Working Life: The Hidden Pressure Facing Construction Leaders
Barbra Carlisle • February 12, 2026
The Silent Strain Behind Senior Leadership and how to manage it
If you're a business owner or senior leader in housing, construction or engineering, you already know the pressures change as you get older but they don't reduce.
Many leaders in their 50s and 60s carry the weight of legacy, succession, and commercial delivery, all while managing the physical and emotional toll of decades in a high‑pressure industry. There is also the family pressures - caring for elderly parents and being a good parent to your children if you have them. Seems never ending.
And despite progress in the sector, data now shows mental ill‑health in construction remains at crisis levels.
New research from the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) found that:
- 94% of construction workers experienced stress in the past year
- 83% experienced anxiety and
- 60% experienced depression.
- Even more starkly, 28% reported suicidal thoughts within the past 12 months.
This isn’t a “young person’s” issue, it’s hitting experienced leaders hard, often silently.
Why Older Leaders Are at Higher Risk
1. The pressure of carrying the business
In the later stages of your career, you’re not just delivering you’re safeguarding the company’s future.
That constant load creates a perfect storm when combined with long hours, complex delivery timelines and skills shortages.
2. Succession: the pressure nobody talks about
Tim Walder’s (My guest on The Unlikely Executive Podcast) comment captures the mindset many leaders carry deep down:
“You’re not owning the shirt; you’re looking after it.”
That awareness of legacy, responsibility and the risk of leaving a vacuum creates emotional weight few leaders ever voice.
3. The ageing workforce isn’t helping
Over 35% of the UK construction workforce is now over 50, and only 20% is under 30, leaving senior leaders under pressure to hold everything up while the sector struggles to bring new talent through, and managing their expectations when you do find the right person.
With fewer people stepping in and many long‑serving workers retiring, leaders often absorb more stress, not less.
The Reality: Support Has Improved, But Not Enough
The CIOB reports real progress:
- 54% of workers now have access to a mental health first aider
- 77% have been encouraged to take part in wellbeing events
However, culture hasn’t caught up:
- Nearly one in five (17%) don’t feel confident approaching a struggling colleague
- 24% report experiencing daily stress
Leaders in their 50s and 60s, the generation taught to “push through”, are often the least likely to seek help.
What Senior Leaders Can Do Without Slowing Down
1. Build structured space to think (and decompress)
Simple, scheduled check‑ins reduce decision fatigue and improve focus.
The data supports it: workplaces offering regular 1:1 meetings have grown from 35% to 54% since 2020 and those teams report better wellbeing.
2. Train your managers to notice pressure early
CIOB recommends mandatory line‑manager wellbeing training because stress is much easier to prevent than fix.
3. Strengthen your succession planning
Clear succession pathways reduce leader overload and reduce the anxiety of “carrying it all”.
4. Normalise honest conversations at the top
When senior leaders speak openly (even briefly) about pressure, the culture moves quickly.
You don’t need to “share everything”, but you do need to model what healthy leadership looks like.
So legacy isn’t just about financial success it’s about ensuring you can lead well enough, long enough, to hand over something strong. And then go and live the life you want to.
There is no weakness in investing in your mental resilience.
There is only risk in ignoring it.
If you want a confidential space to step back, reflect, and rebuild your leadership energy, I’m here when you’re ready.
Image by Markus Kammermann from Pixabay
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