Help for mental health in farming

With statistics suggesting every week someone in the farming industry takes their own life, new research hopes to help address the underlying problems of mental health in the sector.

Researchers have set out to discover which of two key intervention approaches would be the most successful at supporting the mental health and wellbeing of people in Scotland’s farming and crofting communities.Led by the University of Stirling and Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), the study will explore the acceptability and likely uptake of two approaches – one of which will deliver emotional and social support – including financial advice – and the other offering an online psychological therapy, which has been specifically developed for the farming and crofting community.The team carrying out the research pointed out that four fifths of farmers under the age of 40 considered mental health to be the biggest hidden problem facing the agricultural community – with depression rates increasing and suicide rates amongst the highest in any occupational group.

Margaret Maxwell, Professor of Health Services and Mental Health Research at the University of Stirling said that the unique social, environmental and economic challenges of rural food production meant that help targeted specifically towards the needs of the sector was required.

She said that it was well known that farmers tended to turn to their own circle – to people such as vets - for advice but stated it was crucial to discover what follow-up measures would be acceptable.

Anyone wishing to help with the research should contact [e-mail].