5 tips for supporting driver mental health: ways co-workers can help right now
May 22, 2024
According to the National Mental Health Institute, close to one in five adults live with mental illness (https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness). Mental health impacts us at home, as well as at work, affecting job satisfaction, productivity and safety. Work environment is also a contributing factor to mental illness, and trucking carries its own unique risks. Lack of exercise, social isolation, higher job-related stress and limited access to healthy food are all factors that can increase the risk of mental health problems and the need for driver support.
But there is another concern: not knowing how to support drivers when they need it. Being able to spot the signs of a driver who may be struggling with mental health and knowing how to help them are important parts of your workplace mental health strategy.
Whether you are in HR, or operations, or are a driver yourself, here are five tips for supporting your team’s mental health.
1. Address the Risks
There are two main factors that increase the risk of mental health concerns, and both of them are found in the trucking industry: obstacles to physical health and job-related stress. Being aware of these risk factors can help you address them before they become a problem.
A sedentary lifestyle, disruptive sleep patterns and a diet high in processed foods and sugars place a lot of strain on a driver’s body. Physical health and mental health are closely linked, so it’s important to understand the strains put on drivers’ mental health by the physical stresses of the job. Life as a driver also comes with high occupational stress, social isolation and even exposure to violence or disrespectful treatment.
Think about what you can do to minimize these risks - stocking your driver room with healthy snacks or providing an Employee Assistance Plan can go a long way to support your drivers.
2. Look for the Signs
Many signs of mental health, especially burnout, can be misinterpreted as the behavior of someone who ‘just doesn’t want to do the job’.
Burnout is a condition that results from prolonged, unmanaged workplace stress (something drivers are all too familiar with), and puts you at a higher risk of developing chronic mental illness like depression. It’s a feeling of emptiness, disengagement and mental exhaustion that can leave you feeling like your stressful situation will never change.
When you see someone showing signs of a lack of energy or exhaustion, acting cynically, expressing negativity about their job or demonstrating decreased job performance, remember these may be signs of an underlying mental health issue.
3. Reach Out and Be Reachable
If you think that one of your colleagues is struggling with mental health, reach out by asking about their day, buy them a coffee or invite them out for lunch. Simple acts like this can be a great way to show your support and an important step in creating a space where it’s okay to open up.
You might ask how things are going, but avoid peppering them with too many questions. Asking things like “What’s wrong? Why are you feeling down? Have you tried doing this or that?” can seem like an interrogation and can make a person feel defensive. Being reachable is about being available and ready to listen when they are ready, rather than crowding or trying to solve a problem.
4. Diagnosis: Stay in Your Lane
As someone who is offering support, there is something important to remember: you are not a healthcare professional. You are not a doctor or a therapist, you are a colleague. Declaring things like “you’re depressed” or “you’ve got an anxiety disorder” goes well beyond your role as social support. A proper diagnosis requires a psychological evaluation by a professional, and without that, it may feel like an attack when coming from someone else. Instead, stick to observations and support (“you seem like you’ve been down lately”, “you seem distracted—do you want to talk about it?”) and leave the mental health evaluation to the professionals.
5. Normalize Asking for Help
One of the barriers that stop people from seeking help for mental health issues is the belief those issues are somehow different from other health conditions. But seeking professional help for mental illness is no different from seeking help for a broken leg or a heart condition. Reminding someone who is struggling of this, and suggesting resources that are used regularly by others (like the company Employee Assistance Program) can help normalize and de-stigmatize getting mental health help.
When the stress and demands of being a professional driver begin to take a toll, having formal programs like an Employee Assistance Program are an excellent start, but informal mental health support may be just a critical. When teammates and co-workers are equipped with the right strategies, they can assist struggling drivers through the “final mile” of getting the help they need.