The link between FIFO work and mental health problems and suicide has been hotly debated in the mining states since the beginning of the mining boom. But hard scientific evidence has been lacking. That's starting to change. And the results of the first wave of studies to come out of the mines are deeply concerning, experts say. Several new papers reveal men, and they are nearly all men, working in FIFO jobs have disproportionately high rates of mental health problems such as depression and stress. In a paper published in The Medical Journal of Australia on Monday, a team of counsellors and researchers found almost 30 per cent of surveyed FIFO workers had high or very high levels of psychological distress. The survey of 1124 workers revealed more than 20 per cent rated their own mental health as poor or fair. That compares with about 15 per cent in the general population.

Men aged 25 to 34 on a two-weeks-on, one-week-off roster were most at risk of poor mental health, the researchers found. Prior studies have linked FIFO work to depression, anxiety and relationship troubles. The study found almost 40 per cent of men were stressed by their relationship with their partner, and almost 30 per cent by their relationship with their children. Financial stress was also a major factor, despite the high wages on offer. "There is a very high level of psychological distress compared to the general population," says Jennifer Bowers, chief executive of Rural and Remote Mental Health and lead author of the study, which was conducted in co-operation with several major mining companies.

Ms Milne has recently published several studies showing rates of depression are twice as high in FIFO workers than in the general population. "It's like there are two different worlds they are living in," says Ms Milne, who is completing a PhD at Macquarie University on FIFO workers and psychological distress. "It's all about working hard – 12- to 14-hour days, then everyone goes to the pub and has a few beers, and then goes to bed at 9pm. Day after day after day of that. Workers can end up feeling disconnected from their families. Credit:Glenn Hunt "These men feel they are no longer able to help when the wife needs. They feel disconnected from the kids, because they miss out on birthdays or first steps."

These men are trapped in more ways than one. They rely on the high income to pay off loans, and a macho workplace culture stigmatises mental health problems. Alcohol is often the only coping mechanism left, Ms Milne says. Dr Bowers' study found the men who felt unable to speak up and seek help were most at risk. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video "The strongest predictor of psychological distress overall was fear of stigmatisation for mental health problems; workers who reported being stressed by this factor were 20 times, and those who were extremely stressed about it were 24 times, as likely to have high or very high levels of distress values," her study concluded.