Exploring the meaning, symptoms and perceived support of psychological trauma at a mining organisation

Abstract

The South African mining industry plays a vital role within the economy. Even so, the exposure to traumatic events within South Africa is rapidly increasing, specifically within the mining industry. The impact of a traumatic event not only has an influence on the individual but also greatly affects the organisation. Within literature, it is also evident that trauma within the mining industry does not receive adequate attention. The focus of the present study is to explore how employees understand psychological trauma (PT) and the specific traumatic events that occur within the organisation. The focus of the present study is also to understand what symptoms employees experience after exposure to a traumatic event. The study also explored not only the various aspects of PT but the perceived support employees receive after a traumatic event within the South African mining industry. A qualitative research design from a phenomenological and constructivist/interpretivist approach was used for the purpose of this study. Purposive sampling was utilised and participants’ responses were obtained by means of a focus group. The population of the study consisted of participants (N = 11) from an operational department within a particular organisation in the South African mining industry. The responses from the focus group were transcribed and thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Themes and sub-themes were extracted from the data and direct quotations were utilised to substantiate the findings. It was found that participants in the study understand the meaning of PT. It was further found that various traumatic events occur within the mining industry. During the study it became evident that participants experience various symptoms of PT after exposure to a traumatic event. Furthermore, it was found that the support participants receive after exposure to a traumatic event is negative in nature. Participants experienced that there was a lack of support from supervisors, the organisation and family members. To conclude the present study, recommendations were made for future research and practice