Psychological Issues among Truck Drivers
It is undisputed that significant mental health issues are affecting most of the truck drivers today in the U.S. Serious mental health issues among them are associated with causing depression, loneliness, anxiety, and chronic sleep balance, amongst other emotional problems. In most cases, professional and long-distance truck drivers are often exposed to demanding working and living conditions, and thus, they are weak (da Silva-Júnior et al., 2009). A significant number of them have reported physical and mental health problems, along with psychological distress. Such a phenomenon occurs to them more frequently compared to the general population, and thus, their problems can seriously affect safety on the road and rail network (Garbarino et al., 2018). However, several measures have been put in place to improve the health of truck drivers and imperatively reduce the risks of co-morbidity or unsafe driving (Shattell et al., 2012). The conditions and operations of the truck drivers have adversely affected the quality of their life as far as their psychological health is concerned.
Causes of Mental Health Issues
According to Garbarino et al. (2018), Mental illness among truck drivers and other professionals with related conditions has been recognized as one of the increasing issues in the United States. Given that work-related conditions and experiences cause most psychological issues among the truck drivers, the blame can be directed to the leadership and organizational structure that deals with the welfare of such employees (Hege et al., 2019). Psychological health issues in the midst of truck drivers can be associated with human satisfaction, and which is a complex issue. In order to achieve human or employee satisfaction, which happens to be the general cause of psychological issues among truck drivers, an appropriate leadership style is required (Iseland et al., 2018). Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
The prevailing issues of mental illness have been caused by the desire of truck drivers to meet their own basic needs. This drive of satisfaction has triggered some them to ignore their health issues while at work, not considering that their bodies need to rest adequately (Garbarino et al., 2018). It is acknowledged the working environment of truck drivers allows them to just spend little time for sleeping, as a result of the need to significantly boost their income since they are paid per miles they have covered (Hege et al., 2019).
As per Hege et al. (2019), unfortunately, various truck drivers’ experiences or suffer from mental health conditions unknowingly and carry on driving their trucks devoid of reporting the psychological issues affecting them. Still more dangerously, a lot of drivers endeavor to self-medicate these conditions with illegal substances such as drugs to try to stay mentally stable. That phenomenon by large merely makes the situation worse for them when it comes to safe driving (Iseland et al., 2018). Whenever a truck driver gets involved in an accident because he/she does not have the required mental ability, all the injured victims ought to have to recover the utmost amount feasible for their fatalities and losses (Shattell et al., 2012).
Some of the factors that lead to depression, anxiety, stress, and lack of sleep among truck drivers ranges from their economic, social to health issues. For instance, due to the desire to escalate their income, as mentioned, they may end up not resting adequately (Garbarino et al., 2018). Also, they can spend long hours in a truck cab that is isolated and monotonous while driving on long high way routes. Considering such a working environment, then it is not a disclosure to have many of them with the tendency of developing mental health issues such as stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, and chronic sleep disturbances. These conditions have the capability of obscuring and clouding the truck driver’s judgment, lead to a lack of focus, reckless or poor decision making (Iseland et al., 2018). As well can result in drugs and substance abuse issues, and which also poses a serious threat to their mental health. Long-distance truck drivers have a preference to use caffeine and other correlated substances, with the purpose of altering sleeping times to allow them to operate for extended hours (Hege et al., 2019).
In due course, provided that there is a strong relationship between stress and work-life conflict among long-distance truck drivers, it leads to mental health effects such as anxiety, depression, and substance addiction (Shattell et al., 2012). In that case, stress is the major forecaster of work-life conflict among truck drivers. Nevertheless, the shift towards mile-based pay has significantly contributed to the long hours of working so that the truck drivers have to function for them to obtain a higher income for the satisfaction of their needs (da Silva-Júnior et al., 2009).
Implications of the Mental Health Issues
Research shows the impact of depression among truck drivers are increased collision risk and risky and aggressive driving (Cunningham & Regan, 2016). Majority of studies show that depression is the highest contributor of increased collision risk. Traffic records reveal that the rates of paranoid ideation, clinical depression, and suicidal proclivity were higher among the truck drivers, each reporting at least one symptom of psychopathology (Shattell et al., 2012). Due to anxiety and depression, truck drivers experience significantly vocational-financial more stress and personal conflict. Risky and aggressive driving behavior contributes to many injuries and deaths on the roadways. According to Cunningham & Regan (2016), depression among the truck drivers causes predictive of risky driving which includes behaviors such as running stop signs, speeding, and running amber lights. Regardless of the model, depression among the truck drivers was always predictive of road rage, which includes behaviors such as cutting off others, tailgating, gesturing, yelling and honking.
Neuroscientists suggest that there is a correlation between aggression and depression as a result of a common aetiology; namely the dysfunctional serotonin transmission (Garbarino et al., 2018). Therefore, if depression and anxiety are not addressed among the truck drivers, it may impact driver performance, and hence driver safety. Ignorance of health issues among truck drivers affects all the road users. Research shows that truck accidents directly or indirectly cause several road accidents. The families of the truck drivers are also affected if the drivers die or get accidents because they will lack someone to provide for them (Chen et al., 2018). The overall health of the truck drivers is of often in adverse conditions as compared to the general population as a consequence of disrupted sleep patterns, long driving shifts, social isolation, chronic fatigue, and low rewards. All these factors can create health issues such as obesity, sleep apnea, diabetes, alcohol and drug abuse, and psychological problems among the truck drivers (Staats et al., 2017). Due to bipolar disorder and depression, the truck drivers experience insomnia and strains of the job.
Measures to Deal with Psychological Issues
Professional truck driver’s experiences lack of enough time to sleep, occupational stress, and scanty opportunities for social support, among others. Truck drivers often underestimate their problems and overestimate their overall health condition. Strategies for a potential and congruent effective prevention should be put across to have chances of success. These strategies should include having an occupational health physician for employer and workers (Robinson & Bentley, 2019). The professional health physician should promote physical activity and encourage proper diet, favour healthy lifestyles, increase deleterious awareness effects and health risks due to overweight and obesity. The health physician should advise on sleep health, proper sleep habits, working schedules that give truck drivers opportunities for adequate sleep or compensation for working in nightshifts (Garbarino et al., 2018). Full details about the psychiatric mental problems and sleep disorders relationship should be given. The physician should work on promoting the awareness of the epidemiology of psychological health-related issues and mental disorders and their burden on society, individuals, family, and work environment (Shattell et al., 2012).
Additionally, current health surveillance activities which include sleeping disorders screening and determining drivers with poor sleep quality should be incorporated. Truck drivers having health complications due to chronic alcohol or amphetamine should be taken to specialized programs providing medication (Aksan et al., 2017). Programs like rehabilitation, psychological support and counselling should be provided to decrease relapsing risks and to improve safety on the road.
Conclusion
Truck drivers operate in an environment filled with stress that exerts a substantial adverse influence on well-being and physical health of drivers. Healthcare services access is unexpectedly stuck despite corporate and governmental regulations. Truck drivers are exposed to a variety of medically underserved population and health risks. Industry, government and healthcare providers face challenges of keeping the sector competitive and profitable while taking public safety and the health of the drivers. The primary prevention should be the first step, and education should be a pragmatic approach. Personalized medical care should be provided while avoiding self-medication.
References
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