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Page 62
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Long hours, loneliness and lack of control can leave road transport workers prone to mental health problems, from depression to anxiety Dominic Reny report.
Mental illness, or mental or emotional distress, is one of those slippery issues that is hard to define. Mental health charity Mind says: -About one in four people will experience a mental health problem at some point in their life, but there is a great deal of controversy about what a mental health problem is, what causes it, and how people can be helped to recover."
'Mental distress' encompasses a plethora of problems ranging from relatively straightforward depression on the one hand, to schizophrenia at perhaps the other extreme.Between the two are any number of other problems that also vary massively in degree.
Many men suffer in silence
Men in particular have difficulty admitting there is anything wrong. A recent survey revealed that 17% suffer from mental problems in silence — and this is hardly a rare affliction: the Men's Health Forum (MHF) estimates that more than 18 million men in the UK could be affected by common mental health problems. Stress is seen as a particular problem, with 46% of men suffering from moderate to extreme stress during a normal week.What's more 51% said they felt stressed, depressed or anxious at least once a month; 10% admitted to feeling this way a few times a week or even every day.
Peter Baker,chief executive of the MHF,surns up the problem:"There's a feeling that if you're a man you have to be strong and macho and cope with whatever life throws at you.
"We're particularly concerned to find that one man in three with stress, depression or anxiety says that feeling embarrassed or ashamed would stop him seeking help, while one man in 10 would try to cover up a mental health problem."
Of those who say they have felt depressed, only 33% visited a doctor for help compared with almost 50% of women sufferers.
It's no surprise that stress is a problem for drivers, given the long hours that pervade the industry and the problems caused by trying to meet deadlines on increasingly congested roads. Stress can trigger depression— and being involved in an accident can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder.
Loneliness of the long-distance trucker
The loneliness of the job is another factor that should be taken into consideration, according to Mind. Although it does not have specific data on truck drivers. Mind draws parallels with workers in the agricultural sector who find that the lack of human interaction is a trigger for depression.
It explains:"Isolation is a big cause of stress and suicide among farmers, stablehands and other agricultural workers, for example. Overwork including long shifts can also affect mental health, and lorry drivers are renowned for long shifts with few breaks. Also, lack of control over working conditions can lead to poor mental health and this may apply to lorry drivers, from the journeys they are given to the conditions on the roads."
Treating depression with anti-depressants can hit reaction times and hazard perception; side effects can also include blurred vision and dizziness. •
CONTACTS
Mind has a huge number of factsbeets and other information sources on all aspects of mental health www.mind.org.uk; 0845 7660163 Men's Health Forum www.menshealthforum.org.uk Samaritans www.samaritans.org; 08457 909090 Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) www.thecalmzone.net; 0800 585858