Response: The human cost of the shifting economy: Holden’s closure and Elizabeth’s future

To the Editor

Research suggests that unemployment disproportionately affects lower-skilled workers in Australia (Oesch, 2010) and there is consistent evidence that persons in lower skilled jobs have elevated rates of suicide compared to those in higher skilled jobs (Milner et al., 2013). These workers may also be particularly vulnerable to suicide during times of economic turbulence, as demonstrated in recent research on suicide in the construction industry over the period of the 2007-2009 recession (Milner et al., 2014).

The commentary by Associate Professor Burns highlights the plight of displaced workers in one community following the closure of the Holden factory, drawing attention to potential wider impacts on local business and the community. Other examples of factory closures in Australia are plentiful, including most recently, the announcement that Toyota will cease production in Australia in 2017. These factory closures may place a large number of people at risk of financial difficulties, mental health issues, and suicidality.

The commentary emphasizes the importance of combined intervention strategies to simultaneously promote wellbeing and prevent mental disorders. The need for greater national action to prevent mental disorders has also been highlighted by prominent researchers in the area (Jorm and Reavley, 2013). This perspective aligns with emerging evidence from workplace mental health suggesting that the greatest benefits can be obtained by combining strategies to reduce the work-related causes of distress, while simultaneously improving wellbeing and addressing mental health problems among working people regardless of cause (LaMontagne et al., 2007). In the case of workers employed in the manufacturing sector, such efforts could take a partnered approach between researchers, employers, unions, government, and service providers, who all have important parts to play in resourcing, designing, implementing and evaluating strategies to improve wellbeing and mitigating against mental ill health and suicide. Prevention efforts need to engage workers well before devastating factory closure announcements, and should be complemented by appropriate interventions to ensure that help is available when it is most needed.

I appreciate Associate Professor Burns drawing attention to the increasing problems of involuntary job loss facing the manufacturing sector of Australia and hope that it inspires new approaches that are pro-active - focusing on ways to improve mental health - as well as reactive strategies to prevent mental disorders and suicidality.