Survey finds distress in fishing industry

A NATIONWIDE Deakin University survey of health and wellbeing in Australia’s fishing industry has found fishers are enduring levels of psychological distress almost double that of the general population.

Lead researcher Dr Tanya King from Deakin’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences said the results of the study were confronting.

“The results show levels of ‘high’ and ‘very high’ psychological distress among fishers that are higher than would be reasonably expected in a random sample – the levels are almost double those reported by the general public.”

Close to 1,000 registered commercial fishers from around the country responded to the survey, demonstrating a 19 per cent rate of depression among industry workers compared to the estimated national diagnosis of 10 per cent.

“As worrying as this data is, it isn’t surprising,” Dr King said.

“For many years those working in the fishing industry have shared their stories of depression, anxiety, substance abuse and suicide but we’ve never had the statistical data with which to support the overwhelming anecdotal evidence – until now.”

Only 9 per cent of respondents said they had experienced no bodily pain in the month prior to the survey, with 58 per cent saying they had experienced moderate to very severe pain.

Dr King said many respondents felt their work was “culturally undervalued” or misunderstood – 39 per cent reported they had been dissuaded from addressing their physical and mental health problems because they felt their GP didn’t understand the pressures of the fishing industry.

Deakin University Centre for Farmer Health director Professor Susan Brumby said her centre had been working with Dr King to adapt their Sustainable Farm Families health and wellbeing workshop program for fishers.

“Sustainable Farm Families has been enormously successful, assisting more than 2,300 farm families across the country, but one of the areas we haven’t engaged with is fishing families.

“We have adapted the program for fishers and it has certainly proven popular – we delivered our first workshop in the Bellarine earlier this year, with another workshop and pilot program launching over the coming weeks.”

If you or anyone you know is dealing with thoughts of suicide or psychological distress, 24/7 crisis counselling services are available. Phone Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyondblue on 1300 22 4636, or head to lifeline.org.au or beyondblue.org.au.