COVID-19 and offshore oil and gas workers: The role of personality

Abstract

This qualitative study aimed to identify mental health hazards in the offshore oil and gas industry, as well as the role of the personality types of the Five Factor Model (FFM) in coping with these stressors. A focus group with 8 participants and a pilot study with 5 participants were conducted. Results showed that several stressors are currently present for Australian offshore oil and gas employees, in particular COVID-19 and the resulting negative effects on rosters, working hours, job security and time spent away from home. Other stressors revealed by participants were lack of space, working in a high-risk environment, stigma, helicopter travel and pressure to keep up with production. Poor safety behaviours were associated with neuroticism, extraversion and openness, while risk avoidance appear to be associated with agreeableness and conscientiousness. Tolerance to shift work was positively related to extraversion, yet negatively associated to neuroticism. Furthermore, neuroticism showed a negative association with help-seeking and productivity, as well as higher levels of concern relating to COVID-19 and job uncertainty. As personality traits are enduring throughout life, it is vital that employees are managed effectively through workplace interventions so that they are able to cope effectively, particularly during stressful events.

Keywords: Big five personality model; Offshore oil and gas; Personality; Psychosocial stress.

Fig. 1

Big 5 personality traits and their relationship with work. Note: Adapted from “Mediation models including region-level Big Five sub-facets for the prediction of regional differences in well-being and personality traits related to psychological adversity”, by M. Obschonka et al., 2018, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 115(5), 903. https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/89645/.