TY - JOUR
T1 - Mental health and mining
T2 - the Ghanaian gold mining story
AU - Asare-Doku, Winifred
AU - Rich, Jane Louise
AU - Kelly, Brian
AU - Amponsah-Tawiah, Kwesi
AU - James, Carole
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.
PY - 2021/8
Y1 - 2021/8
N2 - Purpose: There is limited empirical evidence regarding mental health in workplace settings in Africa. Gold mining is a major industry in Ghana, and this study investigated mental health-related symptoms and the factors contributing to such symptoms among employees in the Ghanaian. Methods: A cross-sectional survey design study was used to collect data from employees working in the mining industry across five gold mines in Ghana. All mining employees were invited to participate in the survey. Sociodemographic and work characteristic data (including job content) was collected alongside measures of recent mental health-related symptoms (Kessler-10). Questionnaires were administered in English. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression models. Results: Of 1165 participants (response rate: 78%), 87% were male and 13% were female. The majority of the participants were in the 25–34 age category. Psychological distress was categorized as low (62.6%), moderate (24.3%), high (10.0%) and very high (3.2%). Shift type (working 12 h or more), physical working conditions and financial factors were significantly associated with psychological distress. Job resources and job demands was not significantly associated with levels of psychological distress. Conclusion: This is the first study to explore mental health in the Ghanaian gold mining industry. The findings identify workplace factors associated with psychological distress in the mining industry in Ghana and support the importance of promoting mental health as part of workplace health and safety strategy to improve mental health across the mining population.
AB - Purpose: There is limited empirical evidence regarding mental health in workplace settings in Africa. Gold mining is a major industry in Ghana, and this study investigated mental health-related symptoms and the factors contributing to such symptoms among employees in the Ghanaian. Methods: A cross-sectional survey design study was used to collect data from employees working in the mining industry across five gold mines in Ghana. All mining employees were invited to participate in the survey. Sociodemographic and work characteristic data (including job content) was collected alongside measures of recent mental health-related symptoms (Kessler-10). Questionnaires were administered in English. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression models. Results: Of 1165 participants (response rate: 78%), 87% were male and 13% were female. The majority of the participants were in the 25–34 age category. Psychological distress was categorized as low (62.6%), moderate (24.3%), high (10.0%) and very high (3.2%). Shift type (working 12 h or more), physical working conditions and financial factors were significantly associated with psychological distress. Job resources and job demands was not significantly associated with levels of psychological distress. Conclusion: This is the first study to explore mental health in the Ghanaian gold mining industry. The findings identify workplace factors associated with psychological distress in the mining industry in Ghana and support the importance of promoting mental health as part of workplace health and safety strategy to improve mental health across the mining population.
KW - Mental health
KW - Mining industry
KW - Prevalence
KW - Psychological distress
KW - Workplace factors
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85108642416&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00420-021-01726-7
DO - 10.1007/s00420-021-01726-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 34159452
AN - SCOPUS:85108642416
SN - 0340-0131
VL - 94
SP - 1353
EP - 1362
JO - International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health
JF - International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health
IS - 6
ER -