Mining mental health plan a good example

Monday, 24 March 2014

Mental illness is ranked third in Australia’s burden of illness after cancer and cardiovascular disease, so it is no surprise it is a major issue for workplaces and industries.

Mining mental health

Opinion article* published in The Herald written by Professor Brian Kelly at the University of Newcastle and Jaelea Skehan at the Hunter Institute of Mental Health.

It leads to absenteeism, presenteeism, injuries and lower productivity. Not to mention the effects on the person, their family and the wider community.

Though the emergence of workplace interventions and other broader approaches is encouraging, workplaces are most commonly offered one-off programs or approaches that only address part of the problem.

This week NSW Minerals Council released a Blueprint for Mental Health and Wellbeing, providing a guide to addressing the well-being of employees in the state’s mining sector.

Read the full article

*This opinion piece represents the author’s views