MindWise and Harry’s Partner to Research Mental Health Needs in Fishing, Construction and Mining Industries

Dedham, Massachusetts – MindWise Innovations, a service of Riverside Community Care that provides behavioral health and suicide education programs, today announced the launch of a major research project into the mental health needs of men in the high-risk fishing, construction and mining industries. The social impact initiative is supported by a $380,000 donation from men’s care company Harry’s, in an extension of its partnership with MindWise.

The new and innovative research program will identify and address the needs of men working in industries whose employees experience higher and increasing rates of suicide, substance use disorder, and mental health challenges. Commercial fishing is one of the most hazardous U.S. occupations. In construction, suicide is four times higher than the national average. Mining has the highest rate of heavy alcohol use across all industries.

“Cultural pressures in these predominantly male-dominated industries, along with stigma and isolation, prevent many men from reaching out for help,” said Vic DiGravio, President and CEO of Riverside Community Care. “This work will allow MindWise to hear stories directly from the men in these communities so that we can better understand their experiences, develop practices that foster both physical and psychological safety, as well as identify ways to improve mental health interventions that work for men at the highest risk of dying by suicide.”

Harry’s, a men’s personal-care brand on a mission to expand access to mental health resources for guys, has partnered with MindWise Innovations since 2020, reaching 300,000 men through online mental health screenings and tailored resources to date.

“In talking with our customer community and nonprofit partners, we’ve learned that there’s a huge gap between experiencing a mental health condition and finding effective care,” said Maggie Hureau, Head of Global Social Impact at Harry’s. “That’s why we’re thrilled to partner with MindWise Innovations on this first-of-its-kind research project. Together, we’ll be able to shed light on the often-overlooked mental health realities facing men in high-risk industries while identifying real programs based on research.”

The current project will begin in early 2025 with a series of focus groups and individual interviews involving members of the fishing industry, followed by similar outreach to the construction and mining industries. MindWise is partnering with construction leaders, mining associations and businesses, and the Fishing Partnership Support Services to conduct its research.

“It is vital that we collect first-hand data and hear men’s voices to better understand their experiences with trauma, stress, substance use, thoughts of suicide, and sources of resilience,” said Lisa Desai, Psy.D., Director of Workplace Suicide Prevention at MindWise. “Focus groups can provide invaluable information and help guide effective interventions and resources, as each of these industries faces its own stereotypes, stigma and barriers to care.”

MindWise will continue to reach thousands of men through these proactive efforts, with the ongoing goal of education and early intervention.

About MindWise Innovations 

With a mission of shaping the state of behavioral health for the better, MindWise Innovations provides evidence-based mental health and suicide education programs that help populations prevent and recover from suicide, traumatic events, and crises. We teach students, faculty, and staff how to identify signs of suicide and depression. We help communities recover after traumatic events. And we help high-risk industries create safer, more prepared workplaces. Headquartered in Dedham, Massachusetts, MindWise is a service of Riverside Community Care, a non-profit leader in behavioral health and human services.

About Harry’s

We founded Harry’s because buying shaving supplies was a frustrating experience, and the products themselves were overpriced and over-designed. We saw an opportunity to create a brand that encourages guys to rethink their routines and since taking on shaving, have begun to address the same challenge across other categories in men’s care, including body and hair. At Harry’s, we aim to always put our customers first, which means being readily available however and wherever they want to shop – whether that’s Harrys.com or one of our retail partners – and giving to organizations that promote better mental health care for men. We built Harry’s as a brand for guys who want to carve out their own path. At the heart of our mission is a belief in creating things people like more. For more information on Harry’s, please visit www.harrys.com.