TV presenter and Integrity HSE aim to educate workers about mental illness

Integrity HSE aims to promote a better understanding of how mental illness can impact energy workers as it teams up with a former newsreader.

Kirstin Gove, the former TV presenter who now works with Thistle Wind partners, has presented the latest offering from Steve Harris’ firm.

Integrity HSE commercial director Paul Hudson told Energy Voice that sometimes those working in mental health come up against “old-fashioned attitudes” and this is one of the things this latest course aims to tackle.

However, some people also use language associated with mental illness more liberally as well.

The commercial director added: “It’s changing people’s perception, changing the language as well. People do use the phrase ‘Oh I’m depressed’ or ‘That’s making me depressed’.

“What we should be talking about is you’re sad, but you’re not depressed. It’s okay to have a few days with your sad, but being depressed is a medical condition, it’s the neurochemicals in the brain.

“That’s what this course is trying to give people that education where we’re talking with the right language about the subject.”

The ‘moral, legal, and economic’ reasoning behind Integrity HSE’s latest offering

Managing director Steve Harris explained that his firm’s latest course aims to bring people up to a “minimum level of competence in regard to mental health.”

He added that there is a “moral, legal, and economic argument” behind the mental health awareness e-learning course.

Hudson said: “There’s definitely the mental health aspect. There’s definitely making people better, but it’s also from a performance aspect as well because we do come up against some old-fashioned attitudes where people think that they’re maybe afraid of a subject or maybe afraid to talk about the subject.

“Even those people have to see that actually, it’s all about business performance as well as looking after people.”

Harris also argued that educating workers about what mental illness is and how it may impact them is “just the right thing to do.”

He said: “We’re not living in the 80s anymore, we don’t run someone until they break. We run somebody at an optimal level for as long as we can that’s healthy for them and healthy for the organisation.”

Harris added that the final product was aimed at ensuring remote workers were also supported.

He said: “It’s been our medical professionals that have gone through and put the content together, but the delivery of it has just been, it certainly beyond my expectations and it’s also able to reach those remote workers.

“If you’re a ship worker from Dumfries who finds himself on a vessel in Thailand, then you can get the course.”

Industry support for mental health

Mental health has been an area of focus for the industry in recent years.

The International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC), alongside Step Change in Safety and Robert Gordon University recently concluded a survey that aims to gauge the mental well-being of workers in the North Sea.

Additionally, the Mental Health in Energy group was set up following the findings of an IADC whitepaper that showed 40% of onshore and offshore remote rotational shift workers experienced suicidal thoughts some or all of the time while on duty.

Former Integrity HSE director of clinical psychology Shabnum Hanif also recently struck out on her own to mental health and well-being support with her new venture IntrospeXion.

Hanif said: “The energy industry cannot afford to overlook the well-being of its people, especially in its current climate. By investing in mental health support, companies can reduce absenteeism, improve productivity and build a more engaged and motivated workforce.

“As someone who has spent time offshore, I have seen firsthand the unique challenges that the energy sector personnel face. Long hours, isolation and the pressure to perform in high-risk environments can take a toll on mental health.”

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