Mental health research in the global construction industry: A scoping review using a dual-continuum model of mental health

Objective: This scoping review aimed to investigate whether the construct of mental health used in research in global construction industry workers utilized a dual-continuum model of mental health that incorporates both wellbeing and mental illness dimensions. Methods: A search was conducted in SCOPUS, ERIC, PubMed/MEDLINE, PsychINFO, Web of Science, and VOCED between July 2020 and August 2020. Google was searched for additional records between September 2019 to May 2021. Results: Five focus areas emerged within the 74 articles identified: Mental Health, Mental Illness, Substance Use, Suicide, and Wellbeing. Findings revealed ambiguity in how mental illness and wellbeing were conceptualized and operationalized. No study utilized a dual-continuum model of mental health that incorporated both wellbeing and mental illness dimensions. Conclusions: Mental health in the construction industry is poorly understood. Construction workers, researchers, and clinicians would benefit from a reliable and valid evidence base to support mental health literacy initiatives and mental health treatments.