OzHelp received a grant under the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) Round 4 Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative (HVSI). The project will develop a Health, Wellness and Suicide Prevention Program for Owner Drivers in the Transport Industry across Australia. This project will be developed over a 19-month period and will undertake research to identify the unique risk factors affecting truck drivers in Australia and how to design and make accessible practical supports to help drivers.
Suicide is a major cause of injury-related mortality in Australia; each year, approximately 3000 persons die due to suicide. The burden of suicide in rural and regional areas of Australia far exceeds the burden in metropolitan areas, and past research has identified males involved in the transport industry as being at particularly high risk of poor physical health, poor mental health and suicide. To reduce the occurrence of poor health and suicide among truck drivers, it is important to gain better understanding of individual, social and environmental risk and protective factors that influence poor health and suicide in the transport industry.
If you are aged 18 years or over, I would like to invite you to participate in a working group to discuss the issues, barriers and potential solutions relating to poor physical health, poor mental health and suicide in the transport industry. The working group members will be truck drivers, and discussions will be by phone. It is expected to take 20 – 30 minutes, during which you will be asked to discuss your views about influences on physical health, mental health and suicide, how it affects the truck drivers, barriers to accessing assistance, and ways you think truck drivers at risk of developing poor health outcomes could be encouraged to seek help.
Your participation in the working group would be greatly appreciated and will help inform evidence-based health, wellness and suicide prevention program for truck drivers in Australia. The questions you will be asked include:
The Issues
What do you believe are the issues that affect truck drivers’ wellness?
The Barriers
What do you believe are the barriers that prevent truck drivers from being well? Potential Solutions
What do you believe are the solutions or potential programs that could help truck drivers maintain wellness?
How to reach drivers
What do you believe would be the best way to reach truck drivers in their trucks and remote locations?
If you wish to participate, or have any questions regarding the working group, please contact the Project Manager – Doris Kordes (1300 694 357 or [email protected]).
