GUELPH – A national study conducted by the University of Guelph suggests that mental health in Canada’s agricultural sector is a community effort.
Andria Jones-Bitton, professor at Ontario Veterinary College and associate professor in population medicine at the University of Guelph (U of G), conducted the study in 2015-16 which had over 1,000 participating farmers, veterinarians, and other individuals within Canada’s agricultural sector.
The conclusion; that farmers face significant mental health challenges, most without realizing it themselves.
Of the study, 58 per cent of individuals were classified as experiencing anxiety, 45% of individuals recorded experiencing high stress, and 35% of individuals were classified as experiencing depression.
During an interview on The First Sixteen, a podcast produced by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Briana Hagen spoke on the gap that lies between farmers and the resources that allow them to seek the help they need. The term has been coined as ‘farming credibility’.
“People talk about stress and decreasing their stress to help their mental health, and they talk about taking control of situations,” said Hagen, CEO of the Canadian Center for Agricultural Wellbeing. “Well, what do farmers do with that? They cannot control some of those situations.”
Such situations may include weather events, stock exchange/crop prices, and other factors that contribute to a farm’s wellbeing which cannot be controlled.
To receive support, farmers often turn to those close to them, such as family members, or their community.
Chicken farmer Nathan Duimering said something similar: “I’ve been very blessed with a very supportive wife and family who I’m able to go to in any challenge.”
However, this option may not be enough to bridge the gap between farmers and the support they need.
Jones-Bitton made two recommendations based on the U of G survey data: create a national strategy for farmer mental health and develop supports and services tailored for the farming community.
These two recommendations were made to help bridge the “credibility” gap and enable those who work in the Canadian agriculture sector to get the help they need.
Working alongside the U of G data, Hagen developed In the Know, an agricultural literacy program that aims to educate farmers, their families, veterinarians, and communities about mental health through an agricultural perspective.
“The programming is delivered by mental health professionals who are also farmers or married to a farmer or grew up on a farm,” explained Hagen. “So they have that context, that farm credibility that people really needed in order to connect with the material.”
Programs like this, Hagen argues, are essential.
“So having an understanding for these providers to know the day to day life of farming or just to have some agricultural literacy… is something that needs to be done.”
In 2023, the University of Alberta completed a study that explored the factors contributing to farmer suicide.
These include: maintaining a ‘farmer’ identity, financial crisis, support and stress of family, the anti-anonymity culture of communities, isolation from others, access to toxins and firearms and an unpredictable environment.
After comparing data from sources around the world, the study ultimately concluded similarly to Hagen’s claim, that “Understanding the stressors and developing resiliency factors that provide farmers with the tools to manage their occupational stressors should be a central focus for public health researchers and policymakers.”
If you or someone you know works in agriculture and are in need of anonymous mental health support, see this list of resources for further information:
– Farmer Wellness Initiative offers free 24/7 support, 365 days a year (1-866-267-6255);
– Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing offers free 24/7 support, 365 days a year (1-866-FARMS01);
– Government of Ontario websire includes mental health resources for farmers (ontario.ca); and
– Agriculture Wellness Ontario offers an In the Know agricultural literacy program online at agriculturewellnessontario.ca.