Understanding Mental Health Issues in the Offshore Energy Industry

The IADC’s North Sea Chapter has recently published a white paper calling for an urgent new approach to mental health in the North Sea.

The purpose of the white paper and the wider initiative is to bring about a more joined up approach to mental health in the energy industry.

The association conclude that it requires a top-down approach and a definite cultural shift to move the industry in the direction required and effect lasting and meaningful change in the way the industry looks after the mental health of its workforce.

This paper builds on the work carried out by various international and UK organisations. One of its headline figures comes from UK-based Champion Health’s ‘Workplace Health Report 2023’, which found the number of employees experiencing thoughts of suicide or self-harm had increased to 9% from the previous year and 19% of workers have a current mental health diagnosis.

Meanwhile, a McKinsey study across 15 countries found that 60% of employees have experienced a mental health challenge, while research from culture change business Utopia and market research company Opinium shows three in four employees struggle with their mental health at work, with two in three saying that their employers are not doing enough to support them.

If we look at the statistics from consultations offshore with our medics, very few relate to mental health issues – only 3-4% of offshore consultations last year.  This aligns with some of the findings included in the white paper – for example, that 37% of those surveyed report feeling uncomfortable discussing their feelings at work; and 70% of employees have a fear of saying the wrong thing when it comes to having open conversations about mental health.

This is despite all the publicity encouraging people to share issues, and all the health promotion initiatives and the efforts by operators and employers.  Compare that figure with the number of people we see in clinic for mental health-related issues – which make up 30% of clinic appointments.

We fully support the work the IADC is doing on mental health and we need to look at how we move this forward. The answers seem to be in developing resilience, driving organisational cultural change and allowing difficult conversations to take place.

Craig Donathy, head of mental health and wellbeing, adds: “We are slowly seeing a shift in awareness in the energy sector, with a growing number of organisations starting to prioritise mental health and wellbeing in the workplace, both on and offshore. However, we have a long way to go, and the pace of progress needs to be increased.

“Societal norms seen through social media seem to be setting the bar at potentially unachievable levels of positive mental health and wellbeing. While ‘shooting for the stars’ can be a good thing, unfortunately there is a cost of ‘failing to achieve’ a potentially unrealistic and unsustainable eutopia.

“This ‘compare and despair’ thought process can often compound an already low level of self-worth – which is a primary presenting issue in clinics, often originating from unhelpful unconscious beliefs forged at an early age. Beliefs such as ‘asking for help is a weakness’ or ‘I must be perfect in everything I do’ engender rigid behaviour, adverse pressure and stress which further affects a person’s mental health and wellbeing.

“With as many as one in six people experiencing a common mental health problem (e.g. anxiety and depression) in any given week, greater awareness, education and understanding is needed to bring the energy sector in line with the needs of its workforce and an ever-shifting society.”