Samaritans looking into mental health of rail staff

Darran Hickery and Carol Foster are using their own experiences to help others

The Samaritans charity is to conduct research into the mental wellbeing of people working in the rail industry.

Great Western Railway (GWR) and the Department for Transport have commissioned the study for Mental Health Awareness Week.

The charity said it is encouraging rail staff "from all areas" to be involved.

It hopes the study will help to destigmatise conversations around mental health.

Samaritans Research Project Manager, Suzy Ludlow, said: "Samaritans knows the traumas that rail staff can face, so we hope this study will make a huge difference to the industry."

A recent Rail Safety and Standards Board survey found that railway employees experience 1.5 times higher rate of anxiety compared to the general population.

The survey also found that 43% of rail workers have a mental health condition and more than half of those said they felt this way because of their work in the rail industry.

Mr Hickery says he doesn't want anyone else to go through what he did

Darran Hickery, GWR Depot Engineering Manager Technician, is an advocate for inspiring others to be open in the workplace.

He said: "I've worked in the rail industry for 31 years. When I look back, I was on a downward spiral from the end of 2017, but I didn't realise it at the time.

"One day in 2018 I'd been in a conference which hadn't gone well. I came out of it and went outside and phoned a colleague for a chat and I just burst into tears.

"I manage my own mental health now by talking and helping others - sometimes a simple smile and a chat can be enough."

GWR Lead Customer Host Carol Foster uses her personal experience to help others at work now that she's a mental health first aider.

She said: "It started with anxiety - I started having palpitations and panic attacks.

"I managed to get to a point where I had control of it, but then halfway through our marriage my husband got sick and that's when things started going even further downhill."

She added: "Having been there, I can empathise better with people because I know what I needed to hear."

Launching in June, rail staff are invited to take part within the next six months, with the final study report being available next year.