An Australian first nationwide and industry specific research program, the Resources and Energy Industry Workforce and Leaders Mental Health Research Program is set to kick off next month with the first group of resources and energy employers participants commencing stage one.
Australian Resources and Energy Group AREEA is coordinating the industry-wide research program aimed at evaluating the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of employees and leaders in the resources and energy industry.
The research will inform the development of industry tailored interventions which maximise organisational productivity, improve the wellbeing of leaders and employees and assist in the recovery from the impacts of COVID-19.
The program will also evaluate the cognitive load and decision-making of leaders and develop, implement, and assess the efficacy of developed interventions and evidence-based tools designed to support industry leaders.
The research program is being developed and conducted by the Mindshape research team in collaboration with AREEA. There are three stages of the project which will run through until the end of the year.
Stage One – National Industry Survey
The National Industry Survey provides participating companies with baseline data of trends and needs for employee’s mental health and wellbeing, information about the initiatives and programs employees are accessing internally and externally and the effectiveness of existing interventions.
From this sample, organisations will be provided customised feedback about the current mental health of participants compared to existing research on workforce mental health.
Stage Two – Leaders Assessment
Participating companies will receive a deeper data set on the organisations’ leadership including the factors faced by leaders and recommendations to address their needs from both an organisational and industry perspective.
This stage is particularly important as existing research indicates that an employee’s work experience is based on the abilities of their direct manager and the additional operational requirements that the COVID-19 pandemic has placed on leaders at every level in our industry.
This research has not been done previously for our industry and coupled with stage one, it will provide organisations and the industry with a significant evidence base to work with.
Stage Three – Leaders Intervention Trials
Based on data collected during the earlier stages of the research, Mindshape will develop targeted practical tools to aid psychological safety and recovery (where required) that can be linked to the existing organisational frameworks in place monitor the efficacy of the targeted interventions across an industry and organisational level.
The interventions developed through the research will deliver enhanced productivity and safety outcomes for the industry and provide a proof of concept for consideration of future out of scope work.
With the first phase commencing soon, AREEA invites resources and energy employers to get in touch to find out how they can be involved. To find out more contact [email protected].
