THUNDER BAY - It’s the second-most common occupation in the country, but not much is known about why it might be leading to higher than average mental health disorders.
Researchers at Lakehead University are hoping to shed light on the trucking industry in both Canada and the United States and how it relates to high levels of depression.
Nyasha Makuto, a master’s student in epidemiology and health sciences at Lakehead, will be focusing her master’s thesis on filling in the research gap as it relates to the trucking industry.
“We found there is a gap in understanding studies on truckers and especially their mental health,” she said. “When I began looking more into this topic, I found truckers are more likely to be depressed so I wanted to find out why.”
The research is already underway with an online survey available to people in the industry. Makuto said she is hoping to find a sample size of 210 truck drivers who both suffer from mental health issues and those who do not.
“We need to understand why they might be depressed to begin with,” Makuto said. “I have noticed the data we’ve been collecting suggested interventions that could help them.”
Vicki Kristman, associate professor in the department of health sciences at Lakehead, said the idea for the project began after conversations with Minister Patty Hajdu, who mentioned there is a gap in data on the subject.
“Without the data, it’s difficult to understand,” she said. “We don’t know what factors would influence or lead to a causal association with the development of depression. We are really trying to understand that and in order to do that we really need to talk to the truck drivers. They are the ones who only know what they are exposed to.”
During her preliminary research, Makuto read studies from the United States that found between 13 and 29 per cent of truck drivers have a mental health condition.
“I do think isolation is probably a big one,” she said. “You are away from family and friends for a long period of time. Maybe the long hours of trucking or the different stressors, but we are not sure what stressors exactly are associated with depression.”
“One of the things suggested so far is more flexible hours or an easier way to contact friends or family.”
The online survey will be open until the end of February. Kristman said this is just the first step in filling in the research gap on how one of the most common occupations can be affecting so many.
“It’s a starting step to try and understand the magnitude of the problem of mental health and truck driving,” she said. “We need to understand the factors before we can start thinking about solutions.”
