Farm families mental health

Hello Dr. O’Connor. Could you tell us a little more about the Farm Families Mental Health research project?

The Farm Families Mental Health research project was created to design tailored supports to encourage farm family members to seek help when struggling. In many Irish farms, multiple generations of one farming family can contribute to farming work, but may not self-identify as “farmers”, even though they face similar issues. Reaching out for support is crucial, but many barriers can make this difficult to do. Some may not recognise the symptoms of poor mental health, be unaware of any support available or simply don’t know how to access them. Our project aims to bridge this gap.

We will firstly identify how common mental health issues (like anxiety or depression) and associated factors (such as stress, coping, burnout etc) are using our survey. Then, over the next few months, we will conduct one-on-one interviews with farming family members to investigate any barriers to mental health help-seeking that might exist and how to best support the Irish farming family community with this. Based on the information we get from the surveys and interviews, we will create a bespoke, evidence-based mental health education programme to improve Irish farm families’ knowledge of mental health issues and help-seeking. The farm families viewpoint will be central throughout this project to ensure the supports we create are relevant, accessible and genuinely impactful to rural Irish communities.

This project is led by a really dedicated team at DCU, all passionate about supporting farm families and prioritising rural Ireland. Myself and Dr. Donnla O’Hagan are Co-PI’s (principal investigators, red.), alongside Dr. Sinéad O’Keeffe, an expert in qualitative research. Our team also includes Dr. Hannah Casey (postdoctoral researcher) and Annie O’Connor (research assistant). We are also collaborating with Teagasc, with John McNamara, Senior Health and Safety Specialist, providing valuable insights and guidance. The project began in October last year, following my return from maternity leave and we are in the second phase - actively recruiting farm family members to take part in our survey and interviews.

Do you have a background in agriculture yourself? Why the interest in farmers’ mental health?

Yes, I’m a farmer's daughter and grew up on a mixed farm in East Cork. I really believe that farms are an amazing place to grow up - it gives you a really deep appreciation for nature and animals, and you learn at such a young age the benefits of hard work, responsibility, empathy for animals and so much more. While I live in Dublin now, my four year old loves it so much he is always begging me to move back to Cork and to the farm, and honestly, I don’t blame him! There is really something special about the freedom children have on the farm. It always interested me how farming is such a whole family affair and how these family businesses essentially are the backbone of agriculture in Ireland. I originally completed a Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine funded project on wellbeing in Irish farmers - and during this project we piloted some of our work on the wider farming family. This really highlighted to me how much we needed to prioritise the wider family - who face similar challenges as farmers - but may not realise they also need and deserve support.

Do you have statistics regarding farmers’ mental health in Ireland? Are they doing better or worse than previous years? 

Mental health is a major societal issue in Ireland and our previous research found some worrying findings relating to Irish farmers. We found that a quarter didn’t know where to go to receive mental health services or how to get a suicide prevention number. In addition, two in five Irish farmers believed it was admirable to cope with problems alone without seeking professional help, one in two had poor sleep and one in four experienced burnout. In fact burnout was higher in those with children. However, what is really concerning is that we don’t have any real data on the wider Irish farm family. Lets face it, the farming population is ageing, and farmers work hard and put in long hours, often working off-farm too. So they often rely on the wider family to provide additional labour for the farm to survive. So it is really critical that we investigate farm families' wellbeing and develop targeted supports for the wider farming community. This is especially important, as international research has shown that farm families are particularly at risk, with higher rates of depression and suicide.

Do you reckon women talk more easily about their mental health and do you feel women on the farm carry the emotional burden of getting their men to talk about mental health?

This is often the perception, and in our new research, we aim to explore this further. Our previous research found that Irish farmers often turn to informal supports - particularly family and friends - when struggling. This suggests that farmers' spouses and families may not only be providing support but also experiencing similar challenges farmers themselves face, e.g. financial difficulties, role overload etc. If farmers are relying on their families for help - which is positive and something we really want to encourage - it raises the important question: who is supporting them? And do they have the knowledge of mental health issues and services available to signpost either farmers or themselves onto if needed? That is what we want to explore in our upcoming research.

What could governments do to improve our farmers’ mental health?

This is such a good question! In my view, truly improving the wellbeing of farming families requires structural and systemic interventions. It is such a multi-faceted issue really isn’t it, as farmers and their families face unique challenges that often are out of their control. Governmental and policy support is essential for Irish farmers and their families, particularly in providing financial assistance. It is so important for the government to engage with farm organisations and farm families to develop a sustainable plan that prioritises mental health and wellbeing in the farming community. In our previous research, farmers told us that they want tailored mental health services and farm-centric logistics in the delivery of their care. This means they need better access to mental health supports that are farm-centric, community-based and backed by long-term commitments to their implementation.

We have created a “skills for resilience” intervention for farmers, which we really hope to roll out nationally - funding permitting. Embedding education like this into Agricultural Colleges for example, is something I am really passionate about. There are lots of other factors too that need addressing such as succession planning, rural connectivity and tackling the stigma around mental health in rural Ireland. Addressing these issues in a meaningful way is crucial for the long-term wellbeing of our farming communities.

What can farmers themselves do?

I think the first thing is not to forget about the impact the farm or stressors related to the farm can have on the entire family. We talked to our farmers about the “four Rs” in our previous research and that applies to the wider farming family too. They are: Recognise, Reach out, Refer to your Skills and Remain supportive.

• Recognise: So firstly - check in on yourself and those around you. Life can be really busy and challenging, but it’s important to prioritise your own health and wellbeing.
• Reach out: Secondly, reach out for help if you need it - to your GP, family or friends. They’ll be glad you did. If you notice a friend is struggling, start a conversation. Simply listening is such a powerful and often underestimated way to support someone.
• Refer to your own skills and take care of yourself by prioritising sleep, nutrition, and keeping active in a way that works for you. Make time for things you enjoy, whether that’s meeting friends for a cup of tea, playing football outside with your kids or watching a match down at your local GAA club.
• Finally, remain supportive of others. Check in, offer support, and encourage them to seek help if needed. A great first step is to book an appointment with their local GP to chat about how they are feeling. A small nudge from you might be exactly what they need to take that important step toward getting the help they deserve. If you are ever worried about someone’s mental health, the HSE has a really great summary of what to do here.