Major coalition: Urgent mental health help needed in agriculture

A major coalition has sent a powerful message calling for immediate action to address the mental health crisis in agriculture.

More than 30 rural and healthcare organisations have joined forces for the first time to launch a joint statement to address the crisis disproportionally affecting people in agriculture.

Ahead of a federal budget and election, the coalition is calling on the Government to make an immediate investment of $50 million over five years to address the crisis.

Dr Tim Driscoll, Royal Flying Doctor Service Queensland Section’s State Manager – Mental Health, and Chair of the steering committee leading this initiative, said the statistics are sobering.

“A farmer dies by suicide every 10 days¹. That’s up to twice the rate of the general working population²,” Dr Driscoll said.

“Poor mental health and suicide is having a devastating impact on rural families, communities and businesses right now, and we need federal help to fix it.

“The wellbeing of people in agriculture is impacted by increasingly complex and compounding events like weather and natural disasters, financial stress, and geographic or social isolation.”

National Farmers’ Federation President David Jochinke said farming could be tough and there needed to be the right resources in place to help them deal with the challenges thrown at them.

“A farmer’s greatest asset isn’t their land, livestock or produce, it’s their own wellbeing and the wellbeing of the people around them,” Mr Jochinke said.

“It’s clear the unique mental health needs in agriculture are not being met by existing services and we need Government to give us a leg up so we can turn these devastating statistics around.”

Associate Professor Kate Gunn, a clinical psychologist and founder of ifarmwell, based at the University of South Australia, said it’s a crucial time to invest in the wellbeing of Australian farming communities.

“There is an urgent need for coordinated, farmer-friendly, evidence-based approaches to address this critical issue,” Assoc. Prof. Gunn said.

ifarmwell is one of the organisations that has endorsed the joint statement for urgent action.

“As someone who has worked in the field of farmer wellbeing for more than 15 years, this is the closest we’ve been to finding a meaningful way to bring together farmers, industry bodies and other organisations to address farmer mental health,” Assoc. Prof. Gunn said.

“While the philanthropic sector has been generous to date, support from the Australian Government is crucial to quickly and impactfully reach farmers with evidence-based initiatives, on a national scale.”

The principles outlined in the Joint Statement emerged from the National Forum on Mental Health and Wellbeing in Agriculture in March 2024, and have been refined by a Steering Committee convened by The National Farmers’ Federation.

To join the coalition and support mental health and wellbeing in agriculture, contact the National Farmers’ Federation: 02 6269 5666 or reception@nff.org.au

ENDS.

If you or anyone you know needs help:

• Lifeline on 13 11 14
• ifarmwell at https://ifarmwell.com.au/farmer-friendly-mental-health-resources
• Farmer Health Support Hub at https://farmerhealth.org.au/support-hub
• Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800
• Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636
• Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467
• Headspace on 1800 650 890
• ReachOut at au.reachout.com
• MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978
• Care Leavers Australasia Network (CLAN) on 1800 008 774
• Head to Health at headtohealth.gov.au
• Sober in the Country at www.soberinthecountry.org

Note to Editors:

• Please refer to the Mindframe Guidelines for relevant media codes of practice related to this topic.

Background

These principles emerged from the National Forum on Mental Health and Wellbeing in Agriculture in March 2024, attended by over 60 participants representing a broad range of stakeholders and interests.

From the National Forum, hosted by the National Farmers’ Federation, emerged a Steering Committee to bring together experts in research, practice, and advocacy.

This joint statement is the first public call to action from the coalition.

Sources

1. One Australian farmer dies by suicide every 10 days. (National Rural Health Alliance, 2021, First national study of farmer suicide rates using coronial data. See https://www.ruralhealth.org.au/news/first-national-study-farmer-suicide-rates-using-coronial-data)
2. Australian farmers are twice as likely to die from suicide than other Australian workers (Andersen K, Hawgood J, Klieve H, Kõlves K, De Leo D. Suicide in Selected Occupations in Queensland: Evidence from the State Suicide Register. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. 2010;44(3):243-249. doi:10.3109/00048670903487142)