Being a farmer in Australia is not easy, with a range of external factors influencing health and wellbeing according to a report by the National Farmers Federation.
Content warning: suicide is mentioned within this article.
Natural disasters, financial stress and cost pressures can compound within a natural environment that often involves social isolation, loneliness and limited access to health services.
Rural and regional Australians face challenges that people in metropolitan settings do not. Social determinants including income, education and employment, combined with health determinants such as accessible specialist help, can sometimes aggravate an already challenging quality of life for some.
Researchers from the University of Southern Queensland interviewed 10 Queensland farmers, their partners and General Practitioners to understand the ‘micro-level personal factors that impact farmer mental health help-seeking, given that farmers are at increased risk of suicide yet show reduced mental health help-seeking behaviours.’
Farmer study participants
- 10 Farmers (7 male, 3 female, mean age: 57 years)
- 10 Partners (10 females, mean age: 45 years)
- 8 GPs (3 male, 5 female)
- All but one farmer had a family history of farming (up to 5 generations)
Following interviews with these groups, four key themes emerged, which are discussed below (all quotes have been taken verbatim from the original text).
Farmer study results:
Theme 1: Mental health literacy.
The authors reported that all participants across the sub-groups voiced that mental health literacy was an influential factor in farmers help-seeking.
As one partner expressed,
“I think it’s probably improving, but it’s still fragmented (. . .) there has been, you know, increasing sort of information about it in the mainstream press and conversations about it in terms of the current drought we’re having.”
A GP who was interviewed supported this opinion, and explained that whilst basic understanding of mental health was present, more needed to be done,
“There is probably still a very big lack of understanding as to what specifically makes something a mental illness, so what distinguishes depression from having a bad day or depression from stress for example.”
Some farmers may be unaware of what treatment and support for mental health issues looks like in practice- which also is a possible barrier to engagement. As one GP observed,
“The people who actually do come in and do seek help and do get treatment (. . .) they’re like “oh, I wish I had done this a lot sooner. It’s not as bad as I thought, the whole process isn’t nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be.”
Theme 2: Stigma of mental illness and help-seeking.
The study revealed two particular types of stigma- stigma relating to mental illness itself, and stigma regarding help-seeking. As one farmer elaborated,
“[There’s] a little bit of social stigma, a little bit. I think most farmers wouldn’t like to admit that they were depressed or feeling suicidal or that sort of thing”.
One farmer observed that there had been reductions in stigma over recent years,
“I think a drought like this has broken down like I said before. The barriers have broken down so much these last 3–4 years around the stigma. I think we are all of the realization that we’re not bulletproof and you know while we all handle it differently. Yeah, I think the stigma thing is nearly a thing of the past, to be honest”.
One particular farmer demonstrated a stigma of mental illness, but not of help-seeking,
“You don’t want to go and seek help for mental health that’s like admitting you’ve got a mental health problem. You want to go and seek help because things are a bit tough and you’re not coping very well”.
Several participants, including this GP, spoke of the support the farming community would provide to someone who disclosed mental illness,
“They’re very sympathetic and very supportive because most people go through hard times in the farm community at one stage or another.”
Theme 3: Support, the partners’ role in help-seeking.
The support of a partner in help-seeking was described as crucial for farmers. Sometimes it also appeared that a lack of mental health literacy played a role in not recognising an issue,
“I know a lot of women that have said ‘oh you know I am really frightened about so-and-so (. . .) but (. . .) he’d no more listen to me and believe me than fly to the moon’ (.…) There – just sometimes it’s really impossible for the wife to get through to the husband that they think that there is a problem. Or to get the husband to believe that they may have some issues.”
The reception by farmers to those encouraging help-seeking may not always be well received,
“You need friends, and wives, and family, and that to step in and help you. But I would imagine along the way there would be (. . .) a lot of farmers would reject it, they wouldn’t believe it was happening to them.”
How help-seeking advice was delivered to the farmer, was seen as crucial for any chance of engagement,
“His patterns of behaviour changed significantly, so I was well aware that something was happening (. . .) I could recognize what was happening in terms of the anxiety attacks. So, I made the appointment and—yeah, just arranged it. (. . .) He’d got to the point where he—once I managed it and pointed out the facts, he knew that there was a problem. (. . .) there was absolutely no resistance. He knew that there was a problem”.
Theme 4: The intersectionality between being a farmer, age and gender.
The authors observed that, ‘across all 3 participant samples, age and gender were consistently reported as influential in help-seeking. With respect to age, most participants reported that younger farmers are better at seeking help’.
“the younger guys are a little bit better at picking up that their mood might be a bit off” (GP)
Gender was observed as still having an active role in help-seeking, as one GP explained,
“There is still this, you know, ‘head in the sand’ mentality, I think. Which is worse with men in general about needing to be the strong one, needing to be the provider, the protector (. . . .) There is still a very big group of men, even if they’ll acknowledge that depression is a common problem and that it is not anybody’s fault. But if it’s actually happening to them, they still can’t apply that to themselves.”
Study conclusion
In conclusion to their study of personal factors influencing mental health help-seeking in farmers, the authors noted, ‘This research has shown that there are several personal factors that can influence farmers’ mental health help-seeking, such as mental health literacy, stigma, support, and demographic characteristics’.
‘While mental health literacy and stigma have anecdotally improved, there are still deficits that need to be addressed’.
Support: If content within this article has been confronting or distressing, please reach out to MensLine (1300 78 99 78) or Lifeline Australia (13 11 14).
Expert Opinion: Dr James Brown, Clinical Psychologist and Educator, Southern Queensland Rural Health.
The authors highlight the significant challenges in mental health help-seeking among Australian farmers, and the complex intersection of risk factors, such as mental health literacy, stigma, and that most Australian farmers are men, with known challenges around help-seeking.
While change has been noted in the younger generation of farmers, there remains large gaps to be addressed. The authors note the importance of continued efforts to reduce the stigma around mental health, and to increase access to help and resources, targeted interventions, and practical solutions to encourage more farmers to seek help. The authors particularly note the protective benefit of involving partners and other personal supports to increase the propensity for help seeking amongst farmers.
Recommendations for those living in rural communities:
- Mental health services in rural areas should focus on using relatable examples that reflect the stresses of farming, like financial pressures, droughts, or social isolation. By framing mental health in familiar terms, it will be easier for farmers to understand and relate to the challenges they face, making them more likely to seek help.
- It’s crucial to remind farmers that seeking help is a sign of strength and resilience, not weakness. Framing help seeking as a problem-solving activity like others on the farm makes this more relatable and perceived as a positive character trait. This may lead to earlier help seeking behaviours, making it easier to address the issue before it becomes overwhelming.
- Many farmers rely on their partners, friends, or close family members when it comes to making important decisions about farm life. Farmers can be encouraged to see help-seeking in a similar light, and to involve those they are close to them in the process of seeking help. Having someone by their side can make the process feel less intimidating and can offer emotional support. A partner or friend can help book an appointment with a local doctor or counsellor. In recent years, I have seen an increase in appointments being booked by partners on behalf of their husbands, which I find encouraging
