THE AUSTRALIAN Trucking Association will be involved in beyondblue’s Anxiety and Depression Awareness (ADA) month in October.
According to the ATA, its support for the event will put anxiety and depression on the trucking industry’s radar. The ADA month aims to raise awareness of the symptoms of anxiety and depression, and where to get help.
Depression affects around one million Australians each year of all ages and backgrounds, including workers within the trucking industry and other sectors.
During the Anxiety and Depression Awareness month, the ATA will run a campaign to urge trucking operators and employees to get the facts and seek help early if they think they have depression.
The ATA has previously called for commercial drivers to be screened for depression as part of medical checks for their license and accreditation.
ATA’s statistics show drivers with mild depression are more than twice as likely to have an accident or near miss as drivers who do not have depression.
The ATA’s awareness campaign will consist of feature articles in industry magazines, advice for truck drivers and trucking operators in the ATA’s e-newsletters and an information pack for operators on the ATA’s website.