Mental health front of mind

The connection between a healthy body and a healthy mind has been understood since at least Roman times, with the satirist Juvenal having written of ‘A healthy mind in a healthy body’ almost 2,000 years ago.

And while that adage (and derivations thereof) shouldn’t be misunderstood as meaning that simply being physically healthy will lead to a healthy mind, many companies’ ESG frameworks still prioritise the body and its safety in the workplace over mental health.

A deeper appreciation of the symbiotic relationship between physical and mental health could benefit those working in the resources sector, for example, with new research finding 30 per cent of workers experience high levels of psychological distress.

A study undertaken by Curtin University’s Centre for Transformative Work Design as part of the state government’s Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety Program was published in March.

It shed light on how workplace initiatives could improve mental health, wellbeing, culture and respect in the mining sector.

The Mining Worker Study surveyed 2,550 mining workers in Western Australia and interviewed a further 60 in a one-on-one setting to determine their perceptions of mental health awareness and safety.

The chief investigator and John Curtin Distinguished Professor, Sharon Parker, said the data found one in three workers regularly experienced emotional exhaustion, often resulting from high levels of burnout.

“The negative impact of these experiences on mental health and wellbeing is evident, emphasising the urgent need for change through improved work design, leadership and organisational culture,” Professor Parker said.

“With the mining sector constituting ten per cent of our workforce in WA and playing a pivotal role in our state’s economic prosperity, this study is a crucial step in highlighting the mental health, safety and wellbeing of workers.”

Thirty-eight per cent of workers reported feeling burnt out at work and 31 per cent reported an intent to leave their employer sometime within 12 months of completing the survey.

Study lead author Cheryl Yam said the survey results found workplace culture was improving, but companies needed to focus on reducing discrimination and harassment to truly build a respectful workplace culture.

“The mining industry is a leader in physical safety,” she said.

“With the support and resources from the MARS Program, we are confident that the mining industry is well positioned to also be a leader in mental health and wellbeing.

“Our research findings provide a roadmap for meaningful action to address and reduce covert forms of sexual harassment and create respectful workplaces to attract, retain and prevent harm to women and people in other minority groups.”

In conversation with Business News, Lifeline WA chief executive Lorna MacGregor said the Mining Worker Study reaffirmed the need for more companies to address psychosocial hazards in the workplace.

“I was heartened to see some of the improvements in reduction of psychosocial hazards such as reported levels of bullying and overt behaviours of sexual harassment,” Ms MacGregor said.

“But I noted that levels of psychological distress in the sector remain high at thirty per cent … and there are still high levels of covert forms of sexual harassment, so there’s still work to do.

“One of the things we have to be careful of is not just focusing on the mining sector. There should be focus across all sectors.

“For example, about one in five women across the workforce have to deal with sexual harassment, not just in the mining sector.”

Ms MacGregor said her organisation endorsed the key recommendations from the Mining Workers Study and urged more companies to invest in mental health initiatives.

Lifeline WA runs Resourceful Mind, a peer-led health and wellbeing program specialised for the mining industry to support staff struggling with their mental health.

The program was developed in association with the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia and received funding under the state government’s MARS Program.

Resourceful Mind launched in 2021 and has since trained 500 mining workers from 17 companies to become wellbeing representatives, or ‘minders’, to provide support to their colleagues.

Ms MacGregor said the program had been widely embraced by the resources sector.

“Now we have as many minders on mining sites as there are crisis supporters in our call centre, which is really lovely to see,” she said.

“It shows the effectiveness of developing solutions with the sector.

“The natural position for Lifeline is to always look at what’s improving. And while there is still room for improvement, things are definitely getting better.”

Resourceful Mind undergoes constant development to remain contemporary and relevant, with regular opportunities for minders to continue training and strengthen their skills.

“Resourceful Mind is really modular, it can respond to whatever the needs are at the time,” Ms MacGregor said.

“Resourceful Mind isn’t just one training, it’s a program, and we will keep rolling out modules so minders can keep on being trained.

“For example, if our minders are saying they’re getting a lot of questions around gambling, then we’ll do something around gambling. Or if someone says they need more development around how to deal with anxiety, then we would create a micro-package around that.

“If you imagine Resourceful Mind as a backbone of core training around how to have conversations, minders use that backbone to then have specific conversations around gambling or anxiety or marriage breakdown or alcohol- and drug-related issues or anything else.”

WesTrac officially integrated Resourceful Mind into its workplaces in March 2023, training 26 employees from locations across WA to become minders.

Dayton Robson has undertaken Lifeline WA’s training to become a wellbeing representative. Photo: Maddison Hiscox

Dayton Robson was one of the first WesTrac employees to become a minder, and in conversation with Business News he said he noticed the positive impact the program had within the workplace.

“I have great support from my immediate managers, and they are very good advocates of the program,” Mr Robson said.

“As with any new program, it takes time to embed into the organisation, and WesTrac is working consistently to ensure we are keeping the [minders] and Resourceful Mind at the forefront.

“Making a difference to one person’s life is well worth the investment and time put into the program.”

He said the program taught him to support his colleagues irrespective of their prior relationship with him.

“The training has reinforced my skillset to be empathic, to listen, take people on the journey and help them to realise they are valued and have a purpose,” Mr Robson said.

“The training gave me an insight into how I can overcome the daily challenges in life and at work and allowed me to help others that I came across, [both] in and out of work, in a systematic way.

“The training also taught me that my personal wellness and wellbeing is paramount.”

Resourceful Mind is currently being adapted for compatibility with workplaces in other industries beyond mining and resources.

Ms MacGregor said Lifeline WA recognised specific challenges it wanted to address in the mining sector to improve mental health outcomes, while the Resourceful Mind program had the potential to support workers in other sectors.

“We also develop bespoke peer-support models for other organisations,” she said.

“We try to adapt for the environment and for the audience and for the needs, but it’s all grounded in evidence-based psychological practise.

“None of our new training gets out without our clinical governance manager checking it first, so there is always that governance oversight.”