Resilience and Mental Health in Mining C29020

The Resilience and Mental Health in Mining project will investigate the work-related factors contributing to the resilience of coal mining employees. Resilience is the ability to ‘bounce back’ or recover from adverse or stressful events (Ahern, Kiehl, Sole & Byers, 2006; Windle, 2011). Resilience decreases the negative impact of workplace stressors and is associated with increased quality of life, improved health and effective adaptation, productivity and decreased turnover and absenteeism (Caza & Milton, 2012). In order to advance this important agenda, a Macquarie University research team will undertake a research project, in collaboration with the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM), the objectives of which are to: • Understand the link between workplace experiences, resilience, and mental health in Coal Mining. • Understand the practices that support resilience and mental health at work in Coal Mining, and those that may undermine resilience and mental health. • Provide guidance regarding the practices and strategies that support resilience and mental health in Coal Mining. While this study will be inclusive in scope, we will attend to subgroups that have been identified as at risk of mental health issues, including women. An additional objective of this study is to: • Provide guidance regarding the practices and strategies that support the resilience and mental health of at-risk subgroups, including women, in Coal Mining.