The mental health of Australian miners is affected by the degree of roster compression that they experience, but not whether they Fly-In/Fly-Out (FIFO)

Abstract

Background: Fly-In Fly-Out (FIFO) resource workers travel to a project site and complete long shifts over many consecutive days, staying in company-provided accommodation, before returning home for a number of days off. There has been consistent and persistent speculation and anecdotal evidence concerning the perceived negative effects of the practice on individual workers and their families. Despite the issue of the mental health of Australian FIFO workers receiving increased attention in recent years, only limited, often contradictory, empirical data exists on the topic. Research Aims: Provide a direct comparison between FIFO and Daily Commute (DC) resource worker depression, anxiety, stress, psychological distress and relationship satisfaction. To explore how individual, contextual and occupational factors implicated by previous research affected these measures. Methodology and Findings: 234 participants, all resource workers in the same project in Queensland, completed an internet-based survey that captured demographic information, occupation information such as roster type, and individual information such as intention to continue in role. The participants completed a Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), a Couples Satisfaction Index (CSI-4), and a Tactics for Coping with Stress Inventory. No significant difference was found between FIFO and DC workers. However, people working more compressed rosters (fewer than half as many days off as on) reported higher levels of psychological distress and stress than those working less compressed rosters. The effect of a number of contextual and individual factors was also explored. Conclusion: This study adds to the current body of research by confirming that FIFO workers do not experience greater psychological distress than their DC colleagues. Findings regarding the higher levels of stress and psychological distress amongst those working high compression rosters also confirm previous study findings. Further research into the psychological effects of resource sector work would be helpful, paying particular attention to specific roster patterns.