Farming is recognized as a highly stressful occupation around the world. In this presentation, quantitative data from the 2021 Survey of Farmer Mental Health in Canada and qualitative interview data will be discussed to provide an overview of the stressors faced and coping strategies used by farmers in Canada.
Concurrent Sessions
Concurrent Sessions
All conference presentations will be in English except for one. Closed captioning will be available in English and French.
Wednesday, March 8, 2023
A1-A3 CONCURRENT SESSIONS | 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
A1 Farmers Mental Health: A Research Focus (3 presentations)
The increase of farmer suicide in recent years represents an important public health concern and requires an understanding of the circumstances and risk factors that contributed to a farmer’s decision to die by suicide, as well as the protective factors that can help them manage the stressors. Qualitative research examining farmer distress and suicide has grown in recent years and provides a rich description of the farmers’ lives leading up to their suicide that cannot be easily captured from surveys. We conducted a metasynthesis to understand the risk and protective factors preceding the farmers’ suicide from the perspectives of their partner, relatives, or individuals who worked closely with them. We used this information to generate a conceptual model to illustrate the intersecting nature of farm culture, work-life stressors, and mental health.
The Agricultural Wellbeing Course is an online, five-lesson course providing psychoeducation and strategies for dealing with symptoms of anxiety/depression with therapist-assistance. Pre- post measures identified significant reductions in anxiety, depression, and perceived stress and a significant increase in resiliency at post treatment. 100% of participants said the therapy program was worth their time and that they would recommend it to a friend.
Our presenters will share their learnings and approaches for farmer mental health in BC and Alberta.
CONCURRENT SESSIONS | B1 – B2 | 1:15 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.
B1 Wellness Programs in Canada: An Eastern and Western Perspective (2 presentations)
Although the conversations began years ago, the actual planning, structure and services of the Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program became a reality in 2022. Find out first-hand how the program fills a gap in services to build mental wellness in Manitoba farm families.
Setting up farmer mental health services in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.