Mental health promotion program in the workplace with focus on transport

Abstract

Five key sectors of transport have been selected as the target groups: seafarers, truck drivers, dockworkers, rail workers and airline workers. Transport workers often operate under stressful working conditions, long-work hours, lack of good sleep, healthy diet and physical exercises that contribute to fatigue, impaired well-being, mental ill-health, stress and chronic diseases. The hypothesis is that good mental health workplace culture depends on good education, staffing and management.

Objectives: To create, implement and evaluate a research based mental health culture promotion program

Determinate existing researches and training programs,

To study the knowledge, skills and needs for specific training in diferent age-groups

Create and implement effective and relevant training,

Produce training materials and scientific evidence available for ship owners, students and workers and to develop proposals for new mental health policies, legislations and regulations

Methods: Multidisciplinary training and research methodology with quantitative and qualitative research methods will be used. Validated mental health culture promotion methods with new programs for the specific sectors.

Expected impact

• Significant less sickness absence and suicides

• Benefit for the workers’ health including benefit for the company economy.

• Policies developed for improved mental health culture based on the research.

• The training programs are ready to be continued at the end of the project.