www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/news/life…

“Everyone’s proud of the safety culture in the oilsands industry, but the industry has not done nearly enough around psychosocial safety,” said U of A sociologist Sara Dorow.

A study from the University of Alberta found commuter workers in the oilsands have worse mental health and more work-related stress than the general population. Mental health advocates in the Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo area say the report backs up what they have been arguing for years.

The preliminary report included 72 participants who were interviewed between late 2019 and early 2020, before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most lived across Alberta and Canada, and worked 10-to-12 hour shifts during rotations that lasted six to 21 days.

The research team, led by sociologist Sara Dorow, found distrust was common towards employers regarding mental health treatment. Any available supports will not solve this crisis if current attitudes towards mental health continue, Dorow said in an interview.

“I didn’t expect that distrust to come up as often as it did but it just kept coming up,” she said. “Mental health prevention needs to be built into safety culture. Everyone’s proud of the safety culture in the oilsands industry, but the industry has not done nearly enough around psychosocial safety.”