The mental and physical health of miners following the 1992 national pit closure programme: a cross sectional survey using General Health Questionnaire GHQ-12 and Short Form SF-36.
BACKGROUND
In the twelve months following the announcement of the UK pit closure programme in October 1992, 22,500 miners were made redundant. In 1994 we undertook a cross-sectional survey to determine whether the mental and physical health of men who had been employed in the Nottinghamshire mining industry differed from that of the general population.


METHODS
A postal questionnaire was designed incorporating the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), and six domains from SF-36. Questionnaires were sent to 1064 miners and ex-miners and 2097 other men in Nottinghamshire. Non-responders were sent two reminders.


RESULTS
The final response rate was 51%. The percentage of responders with GHQ-12 scores of three or more (suggesting psychological disorder) was 46% for those still employed in the mining industry, 52% for unemployed former miners and 22% for working non-miners (odds ratios: 3.0 [95% C.I. 2.2-4.1] for current miners and 3.9 [95% C.I. 2.6-5.7] for unemployed miners compared with working non-miners). The miners and ex-miners also had lower scores (suggesting greater morbidity) for each of the SF-36 domains tested. When stratifying for age in respondents of social classes IIIM-V the scores of current miners were significantly lower than those of working non-miners (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that when surveyed in 1994, men who had been employed in three Nottinghamshire collieries in 1992 were psychologically and physically disadvantaged compared with working non-miners. Whether these findings are a result of pit closures is uncertain. However, significant potential health needs have been demonstrated.
Avery
A J
AJ
Division of General Practice, School of Community Health Sciences, Medical School, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham.
Betts
D S
DS
Whittington
A
A
Heron
T B
TB
Wilson
S H
SH
Reeves
J P
JP
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003032:Coal Mining; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014478:Unemployment / Q000523:psychology; D006113:United Kingdom