MatesMonitor

Project Details

In Australia and internationally, construction workers have elevated rates of suicide compared to other occupations. Mates In Construction (MIC) is an industry-wide suicide prevention program developed to address this problem. In this project, we seek to implement and evaluate a program that will work alongside and enhance Mates in Construction.

The MatesMonitor program has been developed by a range of partner organisations and researchers listed below. It will be implemented via smartphone and contribute to suicide prevention efforts in the sector by providing suicide prevention literacy and ongoing social support. The evaluation will take the form of a randomised controlled trial. We will compare face-to-face MIC training (treatment as usual) with face-to-face MIC training plus MatesMonitor (treatment as usual plus) to assess changes in retention of suicide prevention knowledge and sense of social support, and lower levels of suicide ideation, attempts, and psychological distress.

MateMonitor will potentially be adapted to other blue collar male-dominated occupations at elevated risk of suicide, augmenting current strategies to address the high burden of suicide.

Researchers

Professor Anthony LaMontagne, Deakin University
Professor Brian Kelly, University of Newcastle
Dr Philip Batterham, Australian National University
Professor Helen Lingard, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
Associate Professor Samuel Harvey, University of New South Wales
Dr Tania King, University of Melbourne

Collaborators

Brookfield Multiplex Pty Ltd
Lend Lease Group Services Pty Ltd
Mates in Construction Australia

Funding

National Health and Medical Research Council Partnership Project (APP1132588)

The program of work on Mental Health is funded through grants including an National Health and Medical Research Council Partnership Grant, a National Health and Medical Research Council Fellowship and a Victorian State Government Science and Medical Research Fellowship.

Research Outcomes

MatesMonitor: Suicide Prevention in the Construction Industry

Mental Health and Suicide Prevention among Australian men

Research Publications

  • Milner A, Shields M, Scovelle A, Sutherland G & King T. Health literacy in male-dominated occupations. Am J Men’s Health 2020: October 15 https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1557988320954022
  • King TL, Batterham P, Lingard H, Gullestrup J, Lockwood C, Harvey SB, Kelly B, LaMontagne AD, Milner A. Are Young Men Getting the Message? Age differences in suicide prevention literacy among male construction workers. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019: 16(3), 475; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16030475
  • Milner A (in press) Suicide Prevalence and Suicide Prevention in the Workplace, In Violence and abuse in the workplace (Eds: Cooper C, Burke R). UK: Gower.
  • Milner A, Kavanagh A, King T & Currier D. The influence of masculine norms and occupational factors on mental health: Evidence from the baseline of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Male Health. American Journal of Men’s Health 2018: January 12 (1). 10.1177/1557988317752607
  • Milner A & Maheen H. Suicide prevention in Australia: Does the funding match the burden?  Aust NZ Journal of Psychiatry 2018: 52(6):596-598.  10.1177/0004867418773873
  • Page K, Milner A, LaMontagne AD (2017). Wellbeing-enhancing workplaces, In Wellbeing, Recovery and Mental Health. (Eds: Slade M, Oades L, Jarden A), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge UK, Chapter 24.
  • Page KM, Allisey A, Tchernitskaia I, Noblet AJ, LaMontagne AD, Reavley N, Milner AJ, Martin A (2017). Workplace mental health: Development of an integrated intervention strategy for an Australian policing organisation, In Wellbeing, Recovery and Mental Health. (Eds: Slade M, Oades L, Jarden A), Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, Cambridge UK.
  • Milner A, Carter GL (2015). Brief contact interventions: current evidence and future research directions. Chapter in International Handbook of Suicide Prevention - 2nd Edition. Wiley: United Kingdom
  • Milner A (2013). Direct and indirect costs of suicide. Chapter in Suicidal behaviours in Men: determinants and prevention in Australia (Eds. K Kõlves, E Kumpula & D De Leo). pp. 106-110. Brisbane: Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention.

Research Group


School Research Themes

Prevention and management of non-communicable diseases (including cancer), and promotion of mental health, Disparities, disadvantage and effective health care



Key Contact

For further information about this research, please contact the research group leader.

Department / Centre

Centre for Health Equity

MDHS Research library
Explore by researcher, school, project or topic.