Suicide Among Miners in Queensland, Australia

Abstract

A body of international and Australian research demonstrates connections between certain types of occupations and elevated suicide rates, relative to suicide rates observed in other occupations or within the general population. In Australia, it has been suggested that miners face a heightened risk of suicide relative to the population overall, but there is very little empirical data available to support this proposal. The current study provides unique data about male miners who died by suicide. Miners were compared against men in other occupations. Demographics, psychiatric history, and life events were examined. Miners were significantly more likely than men in other occupations to have experienced relationship problems prior to their death. Relationship problems may be an important predictor of suicide among miners. This could in turn provide helpful information for identifying miners who are at risk of suicide, as well as point the way to possible industry-specific intervention strategies in Australia and elsewhere.

Relationship Quality, Work-Family Stress, and Mental Health Among Australian Male Mining Industry Employees

“…The proportion of divorced/separated men did not differ by occupation, and, among partnered men, occupation was not associated with differences in the occurrence of separation/reconciliation, or differences in relationship quality with a partner or with children. This suggests that the greater frequency of relationship problems prior to death that was observed among deceased mining workers relative to other workers who died by suicide (McPhedran & De Leo, 2013) is unlikely to be due to employees in the resources sector having a higher frequency of relationship problems in general.…”

“…Other sources, however, suggest that the prevalence of mental illness among mining workers is likely to be comparable with the community as a whole (NSW Minerals Council, 2012), and have found relatively low levels of mental stress claims in that industry (Australian Safety and Compensation Council, 2007). McPhedran and De Leo (2013) found no significant differences in psychiatric history between Australian miners and other men who died by suicide, suggesting that miners who took their own lives did not have a higher prevalence of mental illness relative to other men who died by suicide. However, this information was limited to a deceased sample, meaning that it could not examine whether living miners experienced more mental health problems than other workers.…”

“…A strength of that study was its inclusion of a control group (military families), but it is not certain whether the findings would be replicated if a more general control group drawn from a broader population (rather than the very specific population of military families) were used. McPhedran and De Leo (2013) found that relationship problems prior to death by suicide were more commonly reported for men in the mining industry than for men in other occupations living in similar locations, but that study was unable to examine the prevalence of relationship problems in living mining workers relative to living workers in other occupations. It is possible, for example, that mining workers may experience higher levels of relationship problems overall than other workers, which could in turn explain the higher percentage of mining workers who had relationship problems prior to death by suicide (McPhedran & De Leo, 2013).…”

“…McPhedran and De Leo (2013) found that relationship problems prior to death by suicide were more commonly reported for men in the mining industry than for men in other occupations living in similar locations, but that study was unable to examine the prevalence of relationship problems in living mining workers relative to living workers in other occupations. It is possible, for example, that mining workers may experience higher levels of relationship problems overall than other workers, which could in turn explain the higher percentage of mining workers who had relationship problems prior to death by suicide (McPhedran & De Leo, 2013). Alternatively, the prevalence of relationship problems may be comparable between living samples of miners and other workers (Clifford, 2009) or with the population as a whole (NSW Minerals Council, 2012), but may be more strongly associated with death by suicide among mining workers.…”

“…The combination of often arduous conditions, geographic remoteness, and long working rosters associated with many types of mining may place miners at high risk of experiencing a range of social, psychological, and emotional challenges and stressors. Two interrelated areas that have received particular attention in popular debate are mental illness (especially depression and anxiety) and relationship/family stresses; these have, in turn, been suggested to contribute to an elevated risk of suicide among resources sector employees (see McPhedran & De Leo, 2013, for a more detailed overview of this debate).…”