Truck Drivers Battling Mental Illness: How Common is It?

As we all know, mental illness is an actual disease with real-world consequences. Unfortunately, not many people accept that, but that does not make it any less real. At the same time, it is a public health issue with many different types and symptoms – around one in five Americans live with a mental illness.

What is more concerning is that some occupations have a higher risk of mental health issues, such as being a long-haul truck driver.

According to a recent survey, truck drivers suffer from different mental illnesses:

● 27.9% reported extreme loneliness,

● 26.9% depression,

● 20.6% chronic sleep disturbance,

● 14.5% anxiety,

● and 13% other problems.

Another thing researchers pointed out was that even if those truckers wanted mental health care, they couldn't afford it because their routine and work-life do not allow it. It is important to understand such matters so next time we hear a truck driver caused an accident, we are less prone to judge and more inclined to help.

Sleep and Mental Health

A trucker's work does not allow much rest. And even if truckers manage to sleep, it is for a few hours. But people who do not have almost 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep at night are vulnerable to high levels of depression and anxiety. Many truckers struggle with sleep disturbances, sleep deprivation, insomnia, etc., which is a leading cause of mental disorders in their occupation. Many truck accidents happened after the driver dozed off on a long route or after a day or two with no or minimal rest.

Long Routes

Most truckers drive long routes to take wares to the required destinations. That may take rural and long wildered routes. Imagine traveling alone in the same position, looking at the same landscape for hours. It does affect the mind. Many truckers have become so accustomed to loneliness and silence that they can barely socialize. Unfortunately, that means they are at risk of developing agoraphobia, behavioral disorders, and much more.

Truckers are trained to work as an individual unit, which means they have a lot of pressure and burden on their shoulders to complete a task. As a result, a continuously repeated unhealthy routine may affect both the mind and body, making truckers more prone to many accidents.

When truck accidents happen, specialized attorneys look at the driver's logbook to look for evidence of overwork and fatigue. In a collision or vehicular crash involving trucks, most people become "trigger-happy" to blame the trucker. However, we recommend you see more info here to understand that truck accidents are some of the most complex legal matters involving companies and individuals and engaging numerous insurers, among others. Just as car accident victims lawyer up to protect their rights, so should truck drivers prove overwork, fatigue, or mental illness.

As you can easily imagine, truckers do not bear the whole blame for such accidents as it is the trucking company that often overloads them with work and pushes them over the line to mental health illness.

Trucking and Mental Illness

The life of a trucker is very chaotic, as they often work round the clock. It means unspecified hours of sleep, sitting for long hours, limited resources, always on the road, and high-sugar and high-fat foods. All of these elements contribute to bad health. When it comes to health, it means physical and mental health altogether. But with truckers, their health starts to deteriorate with

these unhealthy behaviors because they cannot lose a shift which means more pressure. With increased pressure, inhumane workloads, and unhealthy routines, mental health starts to deteriorate.

On the other hand, companies that hire these truckers do not check their mental or physical health. Overall, the trucker may become obese, leading to low self-esteem and one additional reason to become more isolated.

Mental Health Issues in Truckers are Pervasive across the Industry

Mental health disorders are pervasive across the trucking industry. At the same time, truckers are already in dwindling numbers. If any of them discloses their history with mental illness, they are already disqualified. Therefore, many truckers choose to suffer alone.

Final Thoughts

Mental health illness is not just depression but a widespread dilemma, as not everyone understands its severity. But if a person, mainly a trucker, is mentally ill, they will risk their lives and the lives of other participants in the traffic.

Many truckers resort to unhealthy coping mechanisms like drinking or distracted driving, which can exponentially increase their risk of accidents, maiming, or killing the occupants of smaller vehicles that had the misfortune of crossing their path that day. If that happens, make sure that you get an experienced attorney on your side, as the trucking company might be liable too. As a trucker exposed to a lawsuit, you should also seek legal representation. It may be hard, even risky, to admit to mental illness, but it is ultimately the right choice for you, the others involved in the accident, and traffic participants overall.