Innovation Challenge winner developing farmer mental health app
A Saskatchewan health services company is developing an app to help farmers track their mental health.
In the spring, a provincewide Innovation Challenge sourced ideas to support the mental health of Saskatchewan’s agricultural producers.
A mobile app called Avail developed by Saskatoon-based Bridges Health was selected. The app analyzes user-inputted data and provides articles, videos and online tips or more immediate help from a personal support network.
“As a company founded and based in Saskatchewan, the agriculture sector touches both our business and our families,” Bridges Health Vice-president Leon Ferguson said. “We are honoured to have this opportunity to work with government and partners to develop and advance this mental health and overall wellness tool.”
The group is receiving $10,000 in funding and a 16-week collaboration with Innovation Saskatchewan and the Ministry of Agriculture.
“Saskatchewan producers face unique challenges when it comes to dealing with mental health and we are committed to providing resources and strategies to help support them,” Agriculture Minister David Marit said. “We know there is a need for solutions like this and I’m looking forward to working with Bridges Health to provide a resource custom-built for the agriculture industry.”
This year, COVID-19 has added new pressures for people in the province’s agriculture sector who are already under strain — calls to the Saskatchewan farm stress line doubled in 2018-2019 compared to the previous year.
“Despite progress made, there is still stigma associated with asking for support when it comes to mental health,” Minister Responsible for Innovation Saskatchewan Tina Beaudry-mellor said. “Having access to an app in the privacy of one’s own home will enhance the likelihood of people asking for help when they need it the most.”
Previous Innovation Challenges included tech-based responses to rural crime, online permissions for hunting and fishing on private land and tracking landfill waste.