Mental health in the oil and gas industry is an increasing concern. As mental health becomes better understood across all industries, oilfield and drilling platform workers learn more about their issues. Employees in the industry commonly suffer from mental health disorders and their accompanying health effects. Workers often deal with depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Some companies are stepping up to help with these mental health concerns, while others are the cause of them. Oilfield workers may be entitled to compensation for their mental suffering, especially after a work-related accident.
Increasing Awareness About the Impact of Mental Health
Throughout the country, awareness of the presence and impact of mental health issues has grown, and the public is becoming more comfortable talking about these issues and handling them appropriately. Still, there is much to be done and to be learned. This is even more true in the oil and gas industry, which often focuses on profit over employee health.
A study published by Copper and Sutherland revealed that 19% of oil and gas workers suffer from a psychological disorder.1 The study focused on offshore drilling rigs and production installations, but the same issues are present in onshore rigs as well. Another study showed that mental health issues manifested as physiological distress caused by anxiety, irritability, and depression.2
Scientific evidence continues to demonstrate the prevalence of mental health disorders among oil and gas workers. Companies should help protect their workers however they can and may be responsible for negligent failure to do so.
Risk Factors for Mental Health Disorders in the Oil and Gas Industry
Several risk factors contribute to mental health conditions for workers. The oil and gas industry is not an easy place to work, and environmental factors often play a significant part in psychological concerns.
Harsh Working and Environmental Conditions
Oil and gas workers have jobs that are hard, dirty, and stressful. Difficult working conditions include:
- Long periods at sea for offshore workers
- A hazardous environment
- Lack of socialization in isolated jobs
- Small and basic living spaces
- Physically exhausting work
- Difficult weather on land or at sea
Occupational Stress
Occupational stress can come from employees’ responsibilities, environmental pressures, and dangerous working conditions. This stress permeates their life on the clock and while they are not working. This is especially true for offshore workers, who do not get to go home at the end of the day.
Occupational stress is a type of psychological harm and is often less noticeable than physical injuries. In fact, many work cultures discourage discussing stress or employees fear appearing weak to their coworkers.
Lengthy Working Shifts
Many oil and gas employees report working 12-hour shifts or longer for days on end. Workers become excessively tired from this exhausting pace, which makes them more prone to accidents, depression, and other mental health disorders.
Common Mental Health Disorders in Oil and Gas Workers
Oil and gas jobs have unique stressors. The most common mental health disorders these employees face include:
Substance Abuse and Addiction
The stress of the job often leads to substance abuse problems. Workers may use drugs or alcohol to cope with the demanding work schedule, stress, and co-occurring mental health issues.
Abuse often leads to addiction, which can slowly destroy a person’s life and affect their ability to work. Long-term treatment and rehabilitation may be necessary to get sober.
Anxiety
Anxiety includes feelings of dread, fear, or uneasiness. It can make a person feel restless and tense. This can be a normal reaction to stress, but it becomes a mental health disorder when these feelings do not go away over time. Workers often feel anxiety symptoms all the time instead of just at an appropriate moment.
Anxiety disorders frequently require medication or therapy to treat the symptoms.3 Stressful work conditions contribute to this problem for oil and gas workers.
Depression
Depression is incredibly common among oil and gas employees.4 This is a serious mental illness characterized by symptoms such as:
- Sleeping too much or insomnia
- Changes in appetite and weight changes
- Feeling excessively sad
- Increase in purposeless activities
- Feeling guilty or worthless
- Difficulty making decisions or thinking critically
- Loss of pleasure or interest in activities the employee once enjoyed
- Thoughts of death and suicide
Depression often occurs in workers injured on the job or who spend a long time away from home. Employees who feel isolated or unappreciated are even more likely to exhibit depression symptoms.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Workers in the oil and gas industry face grave threats every day. For some, an injury or near miss on the job can cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).5 It can be triggered by experiencing the trauma directly or by witnessing a devastating event. Symptoms of PTSD include:
- Recurrent memories of the event
- Flashbacks
- Nightmares about the event
- Physiological symptoms related to stress
- Anxiety and panic attacks
- Withdrawal and depression
- Suicidal thoughts or attempts
What Oil and Gas Companies Can Do To Help
Oil and gas companies must prioritize the safety and well-being of their employees. This includes treating mental health as seriously as physical safety. To do this, employers can:
- Encourage a zero-tolerance substance abuse policy
- Implement trauma-informed support programs
- Promote work-life balance even for offshore workers
- Encourage healthy lifestyle and exercise habits
- Provide adequate time off and reasonable shift lengths
- Foster an open environment for raising mental health issues
Compensation for Mental Health Disorders
Workers whose mental health issues stem from a job-related accident or injury could be entitled to compensation. A personal injury or workers’ compensation claim may be appropriate to help the worker recover and handle the stress of their job.
Sources:
- National Library of Medicine, National Center for Biotechnology Information. Job Stress, Mental Health, and Accidents Among Offshore Workers in the Oil and Gas Extraction Industries.
- Oxford Academic. Anxiety and Depression Symptoms Among Gas and Oil Industry Workers (citing Petroleum Safety Authority Norway. Risk Levels in the Petroleum Industry. Summary Report Norwegian Continental Shelf. Stavanger, Norway: Petroleum Safety Authority Norway, 2009).
- National Library of Medicine, Medline Plus. Anxiety.
- American Psychiatric Association. What Is Depression?
- Mayo Clinic. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)a
