Hutton, E; Skues, J and Wise, L (2025) Exploring the mental health of Australian construction apprentices: A dual-continuum approach. Construction Innovation, 25(1), pp. 35-60. ISSN 1471-4175
Abstract
Purpose: This study aims to use the dual-continuum model of mental health to explore mental health in Australian construction apprentices from the perspective of key stakeholders in the apprenticeship model. In particular, this study explored how construction apprentices, Vocational Education and Training (VET) teachers, industry employers and mental health workers understood the construct of mental health, factors associated with the dimension of psychological distress/symptoms of mental illness, and factors associated with the dimension of mental wellbeing. Design/methodology/approach: This study used an exploratory qualitative research design. Data from 36 semi-structured interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Participants comprised 19 Australian construction apprentices, 5 VET teachers, 7 industry employers and 5 mental health workers. Findings: In total, 14 themes were generated from the data set. Participants across stakeholder groups reported a limited understanding about mental health. Participants cited a range of negative personal, workplace and industry factors associated with psychological distress/symptoms of mental illness, but only reported a few factors associated with mental wellbeing. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is one of the first to use the dual-continuum model of mental health to explore the mental health of Australian construction apprentices, and to explore the factors associated with both dimensions of this model from the perspective of key stakeholders in the Australian construction apprenticeship model.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction-apprentices; construction-industry; dual-continuum; mental health; mental illness; mental wellbeing; psychological-distress; wellbeing |
| Index terms: | vocational education and training, dimension, mental health, illness, distress, methodology, qualitative research, well-being, psychological distress, apprenticeship, thematic analysis, interview |
| Subjects: | professional education, structural engineering, research methods, health monitoring assessment and metrics, data collection methods, research design and methodology, mental health and wellbeing, health conditions and diseases, student development, methods and analysis |
| Topics: | Health and Safety, Engineering Principles, Education, Research Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here