Link between poor mental health and farm safety in focus

In addition 84% of farmers under 40 believe that mental health is the biggest danger problem facing them today.

The release of the figures coincides with Farm Safety Foundation’s Mind Your Head Week, which got underway on Monday.

This is the third year of the campaign which has been designed to raise awareness of the issues facing farmers today and the link between farm safety and mental health. 

A study by the Farm Safety Foundation, or Yellow Wellies as they are also known, found that mental health issues among farmers and agricultural workers are of growing concern, and have a direct impact on safety on the farm. 84% of farmers under the age of 40 believe that mental health is the biggest danger facing the industry today, up from 81% in 2018. Meanwhile, 85% of young farmers believe there is a definite link between mental health and the overall safety of farms.

The farming industry faces many stress factors, which are placing increasing pressure on workers and putting them at greater risk of mental ill health. These include extended amounts of time working in isolation, a blurring between work and home life, and financial uncertainty. Brexit, changing consumer habits, and the climate crisis present further threats to the industry. 

This year’s Mind Your Head campaign is focusing on the physical and mental wellbeing of an industry under pressure, and aim to educate those living and working in the UK’s agricultural communities about the various mental health threats facing them. This year’s campaign aims to bring public attention to issues such as ‘smiling depression’, PTSD, loneliness, rural isolation and mental health in young farmers. 

Stephanie Berkeley, Manager of the Farm Safety Foundation said: “It is encouraging to see more discussions about mental health, more awareness of the various mental health conditions and more emphasis on the support available to the farming community, however more still needs to be done. 

“Whilst farmers are often culturally ill-equipped to discuss mental health issues, one of the most effective methods in combating stigma is talking about it.”

“This is what we have been doing and will continue to push, especially this Mind Your Head week.  

“It is vital to build a culture within agriculture that explicitly recognises how the job can impact on the wellbeing of farmers and their families and how poor mental health can have a direct and deadly impact on the job. Let’s be clear, this isn’t someone else’s responsibility, this is on our watch and, in these challenging times, it’s down to each and every one of us to look out for our friends, colleagues, neighbours and ourselves.”

NFU Vice President Stuart Roberts confirmed that while farming is a fantastic sector full of incredible, innovative, resilient people, like any business sector it comes with its challenges.

He said: “Like many business owners, farmers can struggle with stress, worries and anxiety, and with the isolated nature of farming these feelings can often be amplified.

“Dealing with mental health issues can be incredibly difficult but help is at hand. For many people, the first step is recognising when there is a problem and talking to someone about it and, where needed, getting professional help. Thankfully, the farming community has a multitude of strong support networks such as RABI, FCN and YANA. And as a community we can do more to look out for one another and reach out to provide support to our family and friends who might otherwise suffer in silence.

“I would urge anyone struggling to cope with any issue to open up to someone they trust. We can all do more to listen and make time for each other. There are also plenty of ways we can all try and maintain good health and wellbeing – but this must be something that works for us individually.