Mental health in agriculture is the elephant in the room. No one really wants to talk about loneliness, anxiety or suicide. But it’s there, and many are increasingly worried that it’s getting worse… We are not alone. A survey in August from the Office for National Statistics found that almost one in five adults were
Promoting Farmer Mental Health – a Farm Advisory perspective In this blog, Dr John McNamara, Health and Safety Specialist Advisor for Teagasc – Agriculture and Food Development Authority, Ireland outlines the importance of promoting farmer health, managing stress and adopting prositive strategies to cope with the pressures of farming… “My role of a Specialist Advisor
The tide is turning on mental health. According to Clodagh Crowe of Rural Support; “It’s about time, we would say here in Northern Ireland, where we have the highest prevalence of mental illness in the UK and where last month hundreds of high-profile figures backed a campaign declaring a public health emergency on suicide.” Indeed,
The Farming Community Network: Here For You Poor mental health is a significant issue in farming. The never-ending volatility of the industry, the threat of animal disease, the uncertainty about the future, the unpredictable weather, the long (and sometimes anti-social) working hours and the loneliness of farming all means that farmers and their family members
Change is a fact of life and R.A.B.I has a responsibility to adapt with the times too. That’s why we are currently looking to develop support schemes that address the emotional and practical needs of farming people, as well as the financial ones. The goal for us as an organisation is to build closer relationships
Supporting people in Scottish Agriculture Today we catch up with Nina Clancy, Chief Executive of RSABI, a charity dating back to 1897 and providing financial and practical support and friendship to over 600 individuals and their families across a range of occupations with the common theme of working on the land in Scotland. As we
Following our December newsletter, we received a very personal account of one young farmer’s experience of the danger of pushing man and machine beyond acceptable limits. Although anonymous, he has agreed to share his thoughts on the stresses of modern day farming in the UK and the lessons we can learn from across the world.
Our second action hero of the day is Ben Cavill, Chairman of Cornwall YFC who is using his influence to help create a culture in farming that promotes positive mental health and encourages people to open up and talk. Ben explains more… “I want to use my position as the Chairman of Cornwall’s largest rural
Today we celebrate local heroes, those rural support groups, organisations and individuals who are going the extra mile to help those in their communities. First up, the wonderful YANA based in Norfolk, Suffolk and Worcestershire. Melinda Raker, Patron of YANA explains why she firmly believes that YOU ARE NOT ALONE – we are in this
In today’s final blog, NFU Mutual’s Social Media Manager, Hannah Ratcliff, outlines some interesting insights from their recent Love Rural survey and whilst it’s essential to understand that rural isolation and loneliness can have a profound impact on those living in the countryside, it’s also important to recognise the importance of those key elements that