Mental Health

A new charity hoping to help farmers and their partners cope with mental illness has received a ‘significant’ donation from Prince Charles.

Despite improvements in mental health awareness, two thirds of farmers still say they would not seek professional help if they were concerned about their own mental health.

Loneliness is a key risk factor for mental health issues in farmers with 94 per cent of respondents to a Farmers Guardian online poll agreeing that it posed a risk to mental wellbeing.

Leading figures within the agricultural sector have highlighted mental health awareness training for individuals and businesses should be ‘compulsory’, in an effort to help those struggling within rural communities.

With isolation and social distancing impacting farmers’ mental health, Stephanie Berkeley, Farm Safety Foundation manager, is calling on everyone to look out for each other in these challenging times.

With the coronavirus pandemic creating personal and financial hardship for farmers across the country, farm groups have committed to keeping the spotlight on mental health issues at this year’s Virtual Royal Welsh Show.

The Farm Safety Foundation (FSF) has urged farmers to keep taking safety seriously following a 37.5 per cent decline in farm fatalities.

Speaking up when things get tough saved two farmers from the point of no return. Former dairy farmer Bobby Stevenson and farm worker Duncan Maclellan speak to Farmers Guardian about their recovery.

The ‘skilled’ agricultural sector has been ranked the ‘best occupation’ for work-life balance during the coronavirus pandemic, a CIPD UK Working Lives survey revealed.

More than 90 per cent of respondents anticipate a spike in demand for farming support organisations over the next five years, a new survey by the Farming Community Network (FCN) has revealed.