Relationship quality, work-family stress, and mental health among Australian male mining industry employees

Abstract

Australia is one of the world's foremost mining nations. While the economic and employment benefits of the mining industry are well documented, potentially negative aspects of mining industry employment are less understood. It has been suggested that mining industry workers may be more likely than workers in other occupations to experience relationship problems and work-family stress, but there is very little empirical study examining this proposal. Data from the nationally representative Household, Income, and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey were used to compare males employed in the Australian mining industry with males working in other occupations, on indices of relationship quality and work-family balance, as well as mental and emotional health. Employment in the resources sector was not associated with poorer outcomes on these measures, relative to other occupations. These results suggest that hypothesised connections between mining industry employment and relationship/family stress require careful examination.