Jeane Namhadi
September and October are dedicated to wellness, with a focus on mental health, cancer awareness, and community care. In the 2024/2025 financial year, the Ministry of Health and Social Services reported over 100,000 mental health cases, a number that continues to grow. This rising figure calls for compassion, open dialogue, and the courage to care.
Mental health in the workplace is a vital aspect of creating a supportive and inclusive environment, particularly in industries like mining, where unique working conditions such as shift rotations and extended periods away from family are part of the job. In the mining sector, mental health is multifaceted. It encompasses emotional, physical and social aspects that affect how individuals show up at work and in their personal lives, with common concerns including fatigue, stress, and financial responsibilities.
In-house social work is essential in providing psychosocial support, facilitating access to mental health resources, promoting a culture of psychological safety, building trust, promoting resilience, and helping create a healthier workplace culture.
This service is a vital link between employees and management, advocating for mental health awareness and contributing to the development of supportive workplace interventions to ensure that mental health needs are recognised and addressed effectively. This goes beyond intervention, as it also includes prevention, education, and fostering a culture where talking about mental health in the workplace is normalised.
Mining companies must take a proactive, compassionate, and inclusive approach to mental health. They can do this by adopting an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which includes offering confidential emotional support and coping strategies. In a setting where mental health services are often stigmatised or inaccessible, companies can adopt peer-to-peer programmes, also known as the Mental Health First Aiders programme. These programmes train employees to provide immediate guidance and promote early intervention. These individuals become instrumental in reducing stigma, encouraging open conversations, and improving mental health literacy through toolbox talks and wellness initiatives.
Stigma in mining communities often stems from a “toughness culture”. Workers fear being perceived as weak or unreliable if they speak up. There’s also concern about job security and career progression, which can deter individuals from seeking help.
Due to the pressure to perform, there is usually a fear of job loss or judgement when employees are constantly seen as being away from work, with concerns of being labelled as “unfit for duty”, unreliable or afraid of losing opportunities for promotion, which will prevent employees from seeking help around issues which could inadvertently lead to joblessness.
To dismantle this stigma, we must:
- Ensure confidential and accessible support without fear of stigma or victimisation.
- Run awareness campaigns through workshops, wellness days, and toolbox talks.
- Train managers and supervisors to lead with empathy and openness through visual felt leadership sessions.
Mental health is not exclusive to any job level, sector or demographic, as it affects everyone. By normalising conversations around mental health, we can break down stigma and empower individuals to seek help without fear or shame.
Jeane Namhadi is a senior therapist at Namdeb.
