From the editor: Ben Briggs - 'Health and well-being still a no-go topic for too many'

Poor mental health and speaking about it remains a huge stigma for many people in the farming community.

Whether we like it or not, it remains an uncomfortable topic and one which causes many to switch off and ignore the issue.

There has been progress, of course, with many younger people seeing it as a priority and happy to talk about their challenges in the open.

You only have to look at social media to realise that it is, for many, something they are happy to chat about and share their views on.

But we should not kid ourselves that mental health has been completely taken off the farming industry taboo list. For many it remains firmly on that list, along with other topics, and is something many farmers or farming families do not want to tackle head on.

It is a tricky subject, with the notion of poor mental health playing into feelings of weakness or shame for many who suffer from it and they are, therefore, afraid to seek help in what remains a traditional part of society.

But it should not be that way. As with physical health problems, seeking help is the first step to finding a solution and the stigma surrounding mental health problems is something that the farming needs to overcome.

That is why the work of the Farm Safety Foundations Mind Your Head campaign is so important. By harnessing mental health ambassadors and respected farming charities and organisations, it is able to shine a light on the issue and allow people to get the help they often so desperately need.

Farmer health and well-being is a major issue for agriculture and yet, while it is something discussed and promoted at the upper echelons of the industry, getting farmers to actually be proactive about their physical or mental health remains a challenge.

Far too often farmers only seek help for health problems when it is too late, with the consequences of that inaction sometimes being fatal. Seeking help is never a weakness and farming still needs a mindset change when it comes to personal well-being.