Researchers working with farming community to improve farmers’ mental health
Researchers from Keele University are working with farmers and healthcare professionals to improve mental health and resilience among farming and agricultural communities.
Poor mental health is one of the biggest crises affecting the farming sector, with long and physically demanding hours, living and working in remote or isolated places, and changes to government subsidies all being cited as factors which can negatively impact farmers’ mental health.
Between 2023 and 2024, 31 farmers died by suicide in England and Wales, and a further 29 died by suicide in the agricultural and fishing sector (England and Wales only). Despite the mental health of farmers being a big concern in the healthcare sector, it has been largely overlooked in research in the UK.
Previous research has shown that women working in agriculture are more likely to experience anxiety and depression, whereas males are more likely to experience stigma around help-seeking for mental ill-health and to die by suicide.
Now a new study co-led by Professor Carolyn Chew-Graham and Dr Tamsin Fisher aims to change that, by identifying the support mechanisms that are currently in place and how these can be made more accessible, as well as the barriers that prevent farmers from seeking support.
The researchers are now looking for farmers to take part in the study and share their experiences and have already been working with healthcare practitioners such as community nurses in rural areas, to find out more about the support which is already available and how they could be used more effectively.
Dr Fisher, a Research Associate in the School of Medicine who is co-leading the study, said: “We know that farmers and agricultural workers are not seeking formal help, particularly from primary care, so with this study we want to understand more about what help they are seeking, and what mental healthcare looks like to these communities, and how can we support them to seek more appropriate help with their mental health.
“Almost everyone we’ve spoken to in the farming community as part of this research knows someone either personally or professionally that has been affected by mental health conditions like stress, anxiety, or depression, and many who know someone that has died by suicide.
“With this study we want to talk to not only farmers themselves, but also the healthcare workers supporting them to find out what support is available in this space, and how we can make it more accessible.”
Graham Ashford, Regional Support Officer (West Midlands) for the Farming Community Network, is one of the study co-investigators, and added: “Through the work of The Farming Community Network (FCN) we 'walk with' people within our farming community, helping them to find a positive way forward through any issues or concerns. We want to see farmers navigate change and thrive, now and in the future.”
