How Construction Site Characteristics Shape Workers' Mental Health and Wellbeing

Psychosocial risks in construction are increasingly recognised, yet evidence remains fragmented regarding how site-level physical and operational characteristics shape workers’ mental health and wellbeing. This exploratory study aims to develop an evidence-based conceptual framework to identify relationships between construction site characteristics and workers’ mental health and wellbeing. A systematic literature review of 51 studies (2014–2025) identified 34 site-related indicators grouped into five domains: environmental conditions, welfare amenities and facilities, safety and security, work settings and practices, and physical space design. These domains were then examined through 21 semi-structured interviews with site-based workers across Australian commercial and residential building projects. Interview findings confirmed all five domains and indicated that work settings, work practices, and environmental conditions were most prominent in shaping cognitive and emotional functioning. Across accounts, site characteristics were experienced not only as stressors but also as potential recovery-enabling resources and sources of perceived control, depending on the consistency and quality of support. Using the Job Demands–Resources and Salutogenesis frameworks as organising lenses (not for model testing), the paper synthesises these patterns into an exploratory model to inform future site-level psychosocial assessment and design-oriented interventions.