Hi HEALTH INDUSTRY FOCUS' Being Mindful of Mental Health.

Hi HEALTH INDUSTRY FOCUS' Being Mindful of Mental Health.

Australia, Mental Health Issues & The Mining Business. 

The Mining Health Risk To Be Informed!

It’s generally accepted that improving the general wellness of a workforce leads to HEALTHY morale, reduced absenteeism, lower attrition and improved productivity.

However, the health and general wellness to which we refer here is generally understood in terms of physical health and much less so in terms of mental health. 

Psychological health is just as important as physical health, and yet in many companies it is misunderstood, poorly supported and lacking a clear strategy.

The reality is that an estimated 45% of Australians will experience some form of MENTAL ILLNESS at some point during their life. 

If we are being mindful of mental health then we can’t ignore a clear correlation; 

"nearly half of any workforce in any industry is currently experiencing a mental health issue."

One of the challenges that many MINING COMPANIES may face is the lack of evidence-based data to help them clearly define a strategy or make decisions around the reality of what’s happening on their mine sites and amongst their workforce.

Just how prevalent is it?

Two significant research projects have started to grapple with the prevalence and challenges of mental health issues within the mining industry. 

The first of these is research from Lifeline WA and Edith Cowan University psychologists. 

Their anonymous ON LINE SURVEY of 924 FIFO and DIDO workers showed a higher prevalence of psychological distress amongst workers as compared with the general population.

The second piece of research, Mental Health and the NSW Minerals Industry, was prepared for the NSW Minerals Council by the University of Newcastle and the Hunter Institute of Mental Health.

Their findings drew attention to the reality of the prevalence of MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES in the mining population. 

Using the baseline that the mining industry is at representative of the general population, their figures estimated that in any 12 month period between 8-10,000 workers in the NSW mining industry experience a mental illness:

“An estimated 5777 employees in the NSW Minerals industry are likely to have experienced…anxiety disorder in a twelve month period. Approximately 2500 would have experienced depression and 2000 experienced a substance use disorder…”

It is worth noting that these figures do not account for the specifics of FIFO and DIDO lifestyles. 

There is much discussion around the impact that these lifestyles have as a trigger for MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES or to what extent they exacerbate the situation.

Education is everything:

Education is critical and the recognition of signs that may indicate a problem is present very important. It’s especially important in terms of the provision of support options for a person who may be experiencing the problem. Early identification can be an important factor in someone’s treatment and in their recovery.

The behaviours associated with mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, alcohol or SUBSTANCE ABUSE vary across individuals. Behaviours may be exhibited as follows:

-          more frequent, prolonged and increasing in intensity,

-          unusual or out of the ‘normal’ scope of behaviour exhibited by this individual,

-          ongoing, irrational or disproportionally extreme.

Recognition of and education around these signs requires a commitment from organisations to train and engage the management team and the broader workforce in the importance of supporting MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. 

Given that many people experiencing mental illness do not seek treatment, it’s important to recognise the role that early recognition can play.

The impact of these behaviours on workplace productivity and safety must also be noted in any discussion related to mental health. 

This is especially pertinent in mining, where safety incidents can be life-threatening to both individuals and their teams.

Barriers to Support:

At this stage it might be useful to explore why people experiencing mental illness do not necessarily seek out treatment, and whether there are any unique contributing factors specific to the MINING INDUSTRY.

In the research conducted by Lifeline WA and Edith Cowan University, findings suggested that there were some fairly significant trends evident in the MINING INDUSTRY to provide clarity around ‘why’.

“PARTICIPANTS demonstrated a lack of insight into their own levels of stress and expressed a general reluctance to seek support. Some of the barriers to support-seeking included embarrassment, a culture of not discussing problems, fear of loss of employment if problems were openly discussed, and mistrust in supports.”

These findings correlate naturally with THE OPENING paragraph of this article; 

"that mental health is generally misunderstood and that pathways to support are not as clear-cut or transparent as they are for physical health related issues."

In addition to that, there is a clear cultural change required in mining if MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES are to be recognised as health issues, as opposed to moral issues.

As a moral issue, mental health is stigmatised and ASSOCIATED with enduring prejudices. As a health issue, stigmas are diminished and treatment becomes a more acceptable option. As a result the shame or fear associated with saying “I am not OK’ is significantly reduced.

Be Mindful of Mental Health:

"Even if no-one is talking about it, it’s happening."

This is the reality and mining organisations are now in the position of determining how to move forward and create strategies and pathways to better support their workforce.

The challenge is to get mental health on the management agenda. The processes required to create clear consistent pathways to support must first be supported by the right infrastructure as well as across-the-board training and education.

There are a number of strategies that can be employed and these include:

1)    Start from the top – create a mental health strategy for your organisation that begins with the management team

2)    Educate, educate, educate – consistent and authentic training is a vital part of any mental health awareness strategy

3)    Accept that current pathways to support may not be working and that you may need to re-assess why

4)    Sometimes the most powerful influence is a person's boss. It’s critical that line managers are also trained to recognised the signs and engaged in the importance of support provision.

5)    Organisational and JOB design characteristics such as FIFO could be a mitigating factor and linked with mental health and well being

Mental illness is common in any industry and the impact of mental illness in the workforce can result in significant costs to an organisation. It MAKES BUSINESS sense for mining organisations to adopt an integrated approach to mental health and well being. 

Furthermore, it makes sense to start tackling stigma and other barriers to treatment in order to ensure the safety, productivity, well-being and health of your workforce.

GET ADVICE:

Steve Stokes, Program Director, South Pacific Private:

South Pacific Private is a treatment centre In Sydney specialising in the TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION, anxiety, mood disorders and addictions. Tel. + 61 (0) 02 9905 3667.

FIFO/DIDO Mental Health Research Report:

This 2013 report, conducted by The Sellenger Centre for Research in Law, Justice and Social Change at Edith Cowan University and commissioned by Lifeline, SURVEYED over 920 FIFO and DIDO workers. 

The research aimed to identify the stress-ors associated with FIFO work and the ways in which FIFO workers cope with these stress-ors.

Click The Following Link Here To Download The Report Or The Image Below:

The report was originally published here:  Click Link Here Or Image Below To View Homepage.