New report prompts urgent calls for rural mental health support

Queensland farmers are facing a mental health crisis, with alarming new data revealing how many have attempted suicide or self harm in recent years.

One in 12 Queensland farmers report attempting suicide or self harm over the past five years, with almost a third saying their mental health has declined over the past three, a new report reveals.

The situation is even more alarming interstate, with a national average of one in seven attempting suicide or self harm.

The farming community is calling on governments to improve access to mental health support in regional and rural Australia, where it can often take 4-5 weeks to receive a potentially lifesaving appointment.

The National Farmer Wellbeing Report – commissioned by dairy co-operative Norco and the National Farmers’ Federation – surveyed more than 1300 farmers nationally and found 15 per cent had recently attempted suicide or self harm, and this number rose to almost half (49 per cent) among respondents aged 25 to 34.

A third of respondents (34 per cent) knew of at least one farmer who had succumbed to suicide.

National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) vice president David Jochinke said he had personally experienced the stress of drought and had lost three friends and acquaintances to suicide.

He also had two friends attempt suicide and witnessed the challenges they faced trying to get better.

“They had to travel over two and a half hours to get access to services that have helped them manage their mental health issues,” he said.

“I think the stigma around mental health has definitely lessened and people are aware of services like Beyond Blue, but the next step – to talk about it with your friends and to get access to those services directly – there is still a huge gap.”

David Jochinke, vice president of National Farmers Federation. Picture: Supplied

Mr Jochinke said farmers might realise they need help but be unable to get an appointment for 4-5 weeks.

“We want to have a national approach to this and make sure both the states and federal government have this on their radar and are ensuring the services are in the right locations so they can be deployed in a timely manner,” he said.

“That can be as simple as making sure you can get telehealth psychiatrists and not have to wait weeks (for an appointment).”

The Norco and NFF report revealed the most significant factor impacting mental health over the past five years has been weather and natural disasters (reported by 47 per cent of surveyed farmers), followed by financial stress or troubles (36 per cent) and inflation and cost pressures (35 per cent).

Two in five farmers said rising input costs “kept them up at night” – more than any other issue.

National Centre for Farmer Health director Dr Alison Kennedy said there had been a rise in loneliness within farming communities, too.

“Farms are getting bigger and more mechanised, so there are less people on the farms and therefore in communities,” she said.

“Farmers may be on a machine for a very long time and not have a lot of people contact.

“There are huge cropping farms where it may just be a couple of people then contractors come in and do a lot of the harvest work so you’re not having that workforce to connect with either.”

Dr Grant Blashski said many farmers struggled with work/life balance. Picture: Supplied

Beyond Blue clinical lead Dr Grant Blashski said farmers also ran very demanding and complex businesses with a need to fulfil multiple roles at once – from vet and scientist to HR expert and policy analyst.

“There are also some particular psychological challenges for farmers including irregular working hours, and complex family issues if they are thinking about succession and what their kids want to do,” he said.

“There is quite a challenge in having good work and home life boundaries because often you are living at the workplace so defining when you are at work and off the hook can be tricky.”

Dr Blashski encouraged employers to create mentally healthy workplaces by setting culture from the top.

“If you show a little bit of vulnerability and recognise that mental health issues are part of everyday life, that sets the tone for the organisation,” he said.

Norco is one example of an employer providing mental health training, access to mental health tools and support, fundraising for research and community wellness events.

Chief executive Michael Hampson said the farmer-owned co-operative was also creating mental health champions to identify and provide support to those in farming communities who may be struggling.

“When it comes to the issue of mental health, we know that farmer-to-farmer support is key, as farmers in need are most likely to open up to a fellow farmer, or someone who understands first-hand the struggles they’re experiencing,” Mr Hampson said.

Ross Blanch is helping other farmers through a Lifeline program. Picture: Elise Derwin

Norco dairy farmer and crisis counsellor Ross Blanch has been operating a farmer-to-farmer help line established by Lifeline Queensland for the past four years and now has regular check-ins with as many as 200 farmers between South Australia and Rockhampton.

“I help farmers change their thinking patterns and after an hour and a half of conversation and support, they’re different people,” he said.

One of Mr Blanch’s regulars is calf rearer Stephanie Van der Westen, 28, who worked through post-natal depression with both her daughters, Mai and Ari (now 3 and 1).

“I was first put on to a counsellor but didn’t really connect with them so didn’t got to any more sessions,” the Harrisville, Queensland, resident said.

“It was a male and they had no background in farming.”

Queensland dairy farmer Stephanie Van der Westen with her two children.

For someone reading this that is struggling and wants to take the first step towards improvement, Ms Van der Westen recommended reaching out to a neighbour or a program such as Lifeline’s Farmer to Farmer Crisis Support Line.

“Once you realise you have got an issue, just talk to someone,” she said.

“You may realise you are not the only one in the situation.”