Mental health and safety in the mining industry - new research

The Newcastle Institute of Energy and Resources at the University of Newcastle is host to a new Centre for Resources Health and Safety that draws on the multidisciplinary expertise of university researchers spanning disciplines including workplace health and safety, psychology, psychiatry, respiratory studies and environmental impacts, to meet sector demand and facilitate industry and government collaborations for the benefit of communities in resource-intensive regions.

The Mental Health and Mining program is one of the programs within the Centre for Resources Health and Safety, which is actively engaged in research with the coal mining industry.

Mental health problems and their impact on workplace safety and productivity is a growing issue for the mining industry. A recent report commissioned by the NSW Minerals Council highlighted the need for research to measure the extent and impacts of mental illness on health, safety and productivity in the coal sector workplace (Kelly et al, 2012). Coal mining is a high-profile industry with a demonstrated commitment to the health and safety of its employees, their families and communities.

Mental illness, a common health problem potentially affecting 20% of the community in any 12-month period, has significant impacts on individuals, the community and workplaces (ABS 2008). People can experience levels of cognitive, emotional, behavioural and social problems that do not meet the criteria for a diagnosed mental illness. These mental health problems will often resolve with time or when life stressors change. However, if mental health problems persist or increase in severity they may develop into a mental illness. Community estimates indicate that mental illness is most common in the working years and affects all employment categories and people of all educational and income levels, cultures and employment categories (ABS 2008).

Whether or not a person develops a mental illness seems to depend on a range of individual, social and community factors. Employment is a protective factor for good mental health and wellbeing. Supportive employment is protective for mental illness and can provide social connections, purpose and income. In contrast, long working hours, working overtime, organisational structures and low decision-making authority are associated with increased risks of mental illness (ABS 2008).

The costs of workplace injury to Australian industry and the community are significant, with estimates of $57.5 billion in 2005-06, or 5.9% of Australia’s gross domestic product (ABS 2011). There is some evidence of an association between mental illness and accidents at work, and also links between moderate and high levels of psychological distress, a significant risk for mental illness, and workplace accidents have been demonstrated (Hilton et al 2008a; 2008b).

Mental illness and precedents such as psychological distress affect the workplace through absenteeism, presenteeism (less than optimal productivity while at work), injuries and, ultimately, lower productivity. In Australia in 2000 it was estimated that mental illness cost the economy $2.7 billion per year. Blue-collar workers accounted for more than half of these estimated costs (Lim et al 2000). The Productivity Commission identified that for both men and women, mental illness has the most significant impact on workforce participation compared with a range of other chronic diseases (Laplagne et al 2007).

The Working Well: Mental Health in Mining Project, funded by the Australian Coal Association Research Program (ACARP), is a collaboration between NIER, the University of Newcastle, the Hunter Institute of Mental Health and the coal industry. This project has two arms: one investigating the prevalence and incidence of mental health problems amongst coal industry employees and the second providing evaluation of an intervention program.

There is no specific information on the extent of mental health problems, associated factors or their impact on safety and productivity in the coal industry. Estimates of the extent of mental health problems have been reliant on known risk factors, and population-based studies and studies in other workplace settings which do not account for the unique characteristics in mines associated with shift work, drive-in drive-out and fly-in fly-out work systems and resultant dislocation from home and community services. There is evidence that workplaces are important sites to address mental health and mental illness and, given the multifaceted nature of mental health problems, with frameworks for mentally healthy workplaces offering evidence for multicomponent approaches (McKernon et al 2002).

The ‘Working Well: Mental Health and Mining’ study is collecting data to determine the prevalence of mental health problems in a representative cross-section of employees from multiple mines within the coal industry in NSW and Queensland. This data will allow the identification of prevalence of mental health problems in mining to be established and the patterns of mental health problems among coal industry employees, the factors associated with these problems and the impact on employees’ health, workplace safety and productivity.

A multicomponent intervention program to improve the way mental health is addressed is being trialled in four mines, to gain an understanding of the range of assistance for mental health problems that are available and can be provided within coal mining workplaces. This intervention includes components to develop mental health strategies to help prevent mental health problems and support identification and appropriate intervention for these problems. This includes general awareness education programs and a peer-assisted model of support; supervisor/leader training and a policy review to assist in managing mental health in the workplace.

This research, currently being completed, will provide important evidence of mental health in mining and will improve our knowledge of the scope of the problem. It will evaluate strategies in the industry to improve mental health, as a critical part of the industry’s overall focus on the general health of its employees.

References:

Kelly B, Hazell T, Considine R. Mental Health and the NSW Minerals Industry. Sydney: NSW Minerals Council; 2012.

Laplagne P, Glover M, Shomos A. Effects of Health and Education on Labour Force Participation, Staff Working Paper. Melbourne: Productivity Commission; 2007.

Lim D, Sanderson K, Andrews G. Lost productivity among full-time workers with mental disorders. The Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics. 2000;3(3):139-146.

McKernon S, Allen R, Money E. Mentally healthy workplaces - a living toolkit. In: Morrow L, Verins I, Willis E, eds. in Mental Health and Work: Issues and Perspectives. Adelaide: Auseinet: the Australian Network for the Promotion, Prevention and Early Intervention for Mental Health; 2002.

National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing 2007: Summary of Results. Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics; 2008.

Hilton MF, Scuffham PA, Sheridan J, et al. Mental ill-health and the differential effect of employee type on absenteeism and presenteeism. Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine. Nov 2008;50(11):1228-1243.

Hilton MF, Whiteford HA, Sheridan JS, et al. The Prevalence of Psychological Distress in Employees and Associated Occupational Risk Factors. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2008;50(7):746-757  710.1097/JOM.1090b1013e31817e39171.