National Farmer Wellbeing Report reports nearly half of surveyed farmers had felt depressed

The National Farmer Wellbeing Report, commissioned by dairy co-operative Norco in association with the National Farmers' Federation (NFF) was released on Wednesday and showed the staggering issues surrounding the mental health of farmers.

Nearly 30 per cent of surveyed farmers said their mental health had declined in recent times, while 45pc of surveyed farmers had felt depressed.

About 64pc of farmers surveyed reported feeling anxious in the past few years while one in seven reported they frequently experienced it.

Encouraging farmers to come forward and talk about a possible diagnosis of mental ill-health is also posing a challenge, as 51pc of farmers surveyed said they did not want to burden people by discussing their experiences or were uncomfortable talking about it.

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NFF vice president David Jochinke, said the figures in the report highlights a sense of shame and stigma that's still felt by many farmers, and urged governments and industry representatives to provide more resources.

"Farmers are built tough and can certainly endure a lot, but it's incredibly important that we work to normalise the issue of mental health and give our farmers both permission and a safe space to share their struggles," Mr Jochinke said.

"But to do this effectively, we need to have the right resources and support mechanisms in place to adequately address their challenges."

The top three factors impacting farmer mental health according to the report were weather or natural disasters (47pc), financial stress (36pc) and inflation and cost pressures (35pc).

Loneliness or isolation was also having an impact, with more than a quarter of farmers' (27pc) saying it affected their mental health over the past five years.

Mr Jochinke said reducing farmer mental ill-health was a "complex issue that requires a robust and whole of industry approach".

"But beyond that, were also calling on all levels of government to urgently assess the resourcing they provide to farming communities as its clear their unique needs are not being met by existing services," he said.

"We need dedicated resourcing to tackle farmers' mental health challenges, and that needs to come from each level of government with leadership from the Commonwealth."

Three main recommendations of the report were to encouraging discussion between farmers about mental health, and encouraging consumers to actively choose Australian farmer products implementing an industry-wide 'farmer's army' of mental health advocates.

One of those who are supporting efforts to create a 'farmer army' of mental health advocates across the country is dairy farmer and crisis counsellor, Ross Blanch, who, for the past four years has been operating a farmer-to-farmer help line established and run by Lifeline Queensland.

The service saw a 40 per cent increase in community referrals following last year's floods in the state, which Mr Blanch said was an indication that farmers needed support and conversation with others in their industry.

"Farming is tough, both financially and emotionally, but farmers tend to brush off their issues and say they'll be alright - but it's extremely important they have someone to talk to who understands and has experienced the same struggles they are," he said.

"I am now speaking to farmers as far south as South Australia, to as far north as Rockhampton in Queensland, and I have between 150 and 200 farmers that I regularly check in with.

"In the work that I do, I help farmers change their thinking patterns and after an hour and a half of conversation and support, they're different people - it's a process and service which truly saves lives."

If you need urgent crisis support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

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