Lorry drivers and road users had an opportunity to speak to health and wellbeing professionals at Junction 23 M1 Lorry Park.
The jointly-hosted event by Leicestershire County Council’s Public Health team, Local Area Coordinators and the Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust took place just off the M1 in Shepshed, and followed a previously successful event earlier this year.
Picture credit: Leicestershire County Council
The truck stop event gave lorry drivers the chance to find out more information about mental health and wellbeing.
26 people were spoken to at the event by the team, with each person receiving a goodie bag with a variety of information about services and tips to look after their health and wellbeing.
One man shared his experiences with the team, explaining how he contemplated taking his own life a few years ago: “It’s lonely and other road users don’t like you” he said.
The initiative is also an ideal chance to target a predominantly male demographic, with mental health charity MIND indicating that 30% of illnesses in the transport and logistics industry are related to mental health, though this figure may be even higher.
Over 95% of the lorry driving industry is male, and men are less likely to address mental health concerns, leading to a higher suicide rate.
Councillor Louise Richardson, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “It was great to see this project in action. Building relationships with staff at Junction 23 and providing support to HGV drivers who often face many challenges whilst driving up and down the country.
“We hope through this initiative to raise awareness of mental health issues and the support available for drivers who spend most of their time on the road, so unable to access more traditional forms of support.”
Sarah Jones, who leads the project at Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust said: “We are currently building relationships with the staff at the Truck Stop and people who use the facility. From the first event we identified that people do not access health services due to the nature of their jobs, so we are planning how we can support individuals on site.
“We are hoping to bring services to the site at some point. We are also supporting the Truck Stop to become a Mental Health Friendly Place.”
Find out more about Mental Health Friendly Places: www.startaconversation.co.uk/mental-health-friendly-places.
