West farmers urged to take care of mental health
Campaign highlights the stress and anxiety of farming, writes Athwenna Irons
TACKLING the biggest ‘hidden problem’ facing farmers today will be the focus of a widely respected national campaign returning this week.
Between February 15-19, the Farm Safety Foundation will be running their fourth annual Mind Your Head campaign to illustrate actions being taken to break down mental health barriers in farming.
A recent study by the leading farm safety charity, also known as Yellow Wellies, found that mental health issues among farmers and agricultural workers are of growing concern, and having a direct impact on the overall safety of farms. In total, 88% of farmers under the age of 40 believe that mental health is the biggest hidden problem facing farmers today - an increase from 82% in 2018.
The farming industry faces many stress factors, which the Farm Safety Foundation warns are placing “increased pressure on workers and putting them at greater risk of mental ill health”.
Therefore this year’s Mind Your Head campaign will focus on prevention and early identification of risk factors associated with those living and working in the UK farming industry, and also aim to highlight the wealth of support available.
Stephanie Berkeley, manager of the Farm Safety Foundation, said that during the last year, the coronavirus pandemic “will have only increased the mental health effects on farmers”, a pattern which could continue long after the virus has gone. “Humans are social animals. We not only enjoy each other’s company, but we also thrive on it,” she explained.
“Digital solutions have tremendous value, however we must not underestimate the value of talking through our problems. It sounds non-technical, and therefore oldfashioned, but getting farmers to open up is the very first step to building a holistic approach to mental health in the industry.
“It is so important to encourage a habit within agriculture that explicitly recognises how the job can, and does, impact on the wellbeing of everyone living and working in it and how poor mental health can have a direct and deadly impact on the job. Given the year we have just experienced, making sure we are all looking after our physical and mental wellbeing has never been more relevant.”
The Farm Safety Foundation’s study also revealed that 89% of young farmers believe that talking about mental health in farming will remove any stigma attached to it - up from 80% in 2018. It comes as in an industry where 20 farm workers lost their lives in fatal farm accidents in 2019-20, a total of 133 suicides were registered for those working in farming and agricultural related trades.
During the week-long Mind Your Head campaign, the Farm Safety Foundation will be sharing the stories of some incredible people who have lost loved ones to suicide, made difficult career and life choices, and hear stories of hope, resilience, and the light at the end of that dark tunnel.
Among those who will be sharing their experiences as a powerful means of helping others is 28-yearold James Hosking, who is based in Cornwall. James started working on his family’s dairy farm from the age of 12. After a few family bereavements, the farm started to struggle.
Another family illness meant that James starting skipping college to work long labouring days on the farm. With the dairy industry in decline, money was tight and without enough profit, James’ family had to downscale and sell their dairy cows to ensure stability.
As college came to a close, James got a job as a restaurant manager but still spent time socializing at his local Young Farmers’ Club (YFC). He felt as though he was constantly being judged for being a ‘failed dairy farmer’ and his mood became so low that he contemplated taking his own life.
After trying moving away from home and returning to work at another dairy farm, James took part in #AgriChat, a discussion about mental health on Twitter. This was just the start of James’ sharing his story to help others.
A Type 1 diabetes diagnosis in September 2019 meant James had to make the difficult decision to move away from farming physically. He now works as a dairy sales specialist and is living happily in Launceston with his fiancée.
Mental health in farming is a “huge concern” and one that we “need to keep talking about”, Ms Berkeley added. “In the last 12 months, calls to farming charities have increased so we need to be concerned about the numbers of people in our industry feeling high levels of distress and to keep pushing to ensure people know that help is available and encourage them to ask for it. This is your industry, your future, and your responsibility to it’s time to speak up, speak out and mind your head.”
For more information on the Mind Your Head campaign or to learn more about how the Farm Safety Foundation and partners are tackling the issue of poor mental health in the farming industry visit www. yellowwellies.org.