Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Fit for WorkErgonomicsAnxietyDepressionDisability

Depression and anxiety common among rail workers in pandemic

by Ashleigh Webber 4 Nov 2021
by Ashleigh Webber 4 Nov 2021 M Barratt / Shutterstock.com
M Barratt / Shutterstock.com

More than two in five employees in the rail sector meet the clinical criteria for a mental health condition, according to a survey that also concluded the mental health of many within the sector has deteriorated over the course of the pandemic.

The Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) found that 43% of employees who responded to its survey, which ran in 2020 but was published this week, met the criteria needed for a mental health diagnosis.

It warned that employers in the sector should steer away from “gimmicks” such as yoga sessions and free fruit if they wanted to properly support workers.

Symptoms of depression were the most commonly reported, followed by anxiety. Thirty-eight per cent of respondents had depression scores in the moderate to severe range and 29% reported moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety.

Forty-one per cent said they had experienced a traumatic event. Seventy-four per cent of these employees said that some of the traumatic events they had experienced had been work-related.

Mental health

Half of employees under ‘excessive’ stress

Warning of mental health ‘tipping point’ without more investment

OH’s role in tackling the ‘male mental health gap’

One in 10 survey participants reported symptoms consistent with a clinical post-traumatic stress disorder, with 7% reporting symptoms consistent with complex post-traumatic stress disorder  and 3% consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder.

RSSB’s clinical psychologist Dr Michelle O’Sullivan said: “For the first time we’ve been able to measure the impact of rail industry work on mental health. The industry has demanding public-facing and safety-critical roles, with many employees experiencing increased pressure since Covid-19. Responding to disturbing and challenging situations is often part of those roles.

“Employers have a responsibility to provide appropriate resources to protect staff from the impact of such events. This research identifies key modifiable work factors that can ensure the rail industry is a great place to work.”

The RSSB said employers should focus on improving employee mental health via workplace factors they have direct influence over, including reaching out to staff with pre-existing mental health and physical conditions and ring-fencing time for line managers, union representatives and wellbeing champions to offer support.

Only half of survey participants sought help for a mental health concern and one in eight reported experiencing an incident at work where their poor mental health had been a factor.

Sickness absence in the industry was five times higher than the general population pre-Covid and six times higher than the general population during the pandemic.

The RSSB made several recommendations for employers, including:

  1. Improving the management of work-related violence, bullying, potentially traumatic incidents and stress.
  2. Facilitating good physical health, including assessing and addressing ergonomic and environmental health risks, and providing opportunities for exercise.
  3. Promoting positive social environments and reinforce the value of people’s work.
  4. Addressing excessive pressures associated with Covid-19, for example ensuring that staffing levels are sufficient.
  5. Targeting interventions for vulnerable employees.
  6. Providing support for people with a disability.
  7. Using local data to understand hotspots of mental or physical health issues within the organisation.
  8. Managing job insecurity by considering how messages about organisational changes are communicated.
  9. Cultivating the social value of rail, by regularly reporting on health and wellbeing activities, for example.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Some 3,912 rail sector employees took part in the survey, representing 31 organisations. Half of respondents were in a public-facing role.

The majority worked for passenger train operating companies, though some respondents worked in rail freight, infrastructure or the supply chain.

Ashleigh Webber

Ashleigh is a former editor of OHW+ and former HR and wellbeing editor at Personnel Today. Ashleigh's areas of interest include employee health and wellbeing, equality and inclusion and skills development. She has hosted many webinars for Personnel Today, on topics including employee retention, financial wellbeing and menopause support.

previous post
Distillery worker wins wrongful dismissal claim after wee ‘dram’a
next post
How can HR help staff get through the bleak midwinter?

You may also like

Employers ‘worryingly’ ignorant about stress risk assessments

20 May 2025

Awareness weeks fuel spike in demand for mental...

19 May 2025

Four ways employers can reduce the risk of...

14 May 2025

Healthcare workers prioritise mental health support in new...

12 May 2025

Two-thirds of school leaders suffering mental ill health

6 May 2025

‘Healthy work’ about much more than access to...

28 Apr 2025

Call for better mental health support for NHS...

17 Apr 2025

Computer says no: IT woes giving employees sleepless...

15 Apr 2025

Nearly half did not take even one full...

14 Apr 2025

Quarter feel their employer is ineffective at managing...

11 Apr 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today