Mental health problems now affect as many as one in four Scots, according to national mental health charity SAMH; “We spend a big proportion of our lives at work, often more time with colleagues than with our families.”
Scottish Sea Farms has introduced a mental health initiative across its Shetland farms, aiming to encourage open discussions about wellbeing among its employees.
The sessions are facilitated by the Lerwick-based charity Mind Your Head and take their name from their origins in modest workplace environments like construction site portacabins. The initiative is part of an effort to normalise conversations around mental health, particularly in male-dominated industries like aquaculture.
Scottish Sea Farms Shetland Regional Production Manager Richard Darbyshire was instrumental in bringing the programme to the company after attending an introductory session earlier this year.
“I was really impressed by what they were saying, it was a totally natural and relaxed atmosphere, and people started opening up,” said Darbyshire, referring to the session arranged by Scottish Sea Farms’ HR team in January.
Following this initial success, the programme was introduced more widely within the company. “At our quarterly meeting at the end of May, Grubby Hut’s mental health practitioners facilitated another session, this time with our area managers and support managers, and all were in favour of the programme,” Darbyshire added. “Now, if a team think they can gain something from a Grubby Hut session at their farm, they can contact the charity directly.”
One of the first farms to sign up for the sessions was Gonfirth, where the initiative has been met with a positive response. Senior Husbandry at Gonfirth, Darren Forrest, praised the programme for offering employees a new perspective on mental health.
“For folk who don’t really understand mental health, this gives them a bit more of an insight into how it can affect people,” said Forrest. “There is a big stigma, especially with men who don’t like to admit to having problems, but this can make a difference in the workplace afterwards.”
Trainee Manager Scott Evans echoed the importance of the programme, especially in an industry where workers may often be on different shifts. “Sometimes with our schedules we all might find ourselves on different shifts. This is about remembering that whatever we’re doing we should still take time out to check in on everyone and make sure we’re all okay,” he said.
Gill Gover, Manager at Mind Your Head, highlighted the significance of targeting workplaces for mental health initiatives, particularly in male-dominated sectors. “We are at work for a big proportion of our lives, which is why we target workplaces. People will be in close proximity with each other, maybe even spending more time with their colleagues than their families,” said Gover.
“We know that men have found it more difficult to talk about their wellbeing and can put on a bit of a façade, so this is about normalising mental health and encouraging informal conversation among everyone in the room,” she added.
