Depression, anxiety and stress symptoms among Fly-In Fly-Out Australian resource industry workers

Employers are increasingly recognising that psychological injury is important to health and safety outcomes for organisations and individuals. Mental health among the Fly-In Fly-Out (FIFO) Australian resource industry workforce is receiving considerable scrutiny through parliamentary inquiries in Western Australia and Queensland. Yet, existing research is limited and potentially conflicting. In 2014/15, 629 FIFO workers were surveyed including their mental health. Over one-third (36%) of participants experienced depression, anxiety and/or stress symptoms above the clinical cut-off levels, and around one in 10 experienced a combination of two (9%) or three (12%) of the conditions. The research demonstrates that FIFO workers' mental health problems are associated with, but not determined by, their demographic differences.