New Mental Health Resources Address Needs in the Ag Sector

BY LILIAN SCHAER

This past year saw great strides forward in addressing the mental health crisis in Ontario’s agriculture sector with the launch of a suite of programs to ensure farmers are getting support when and where they need it.

“For a long time, we’ve known that farming is stressful. Financially it’s not always lucrative and we’re always depending on markets and the weather,” says Bruce Buttar, farmer, OFA director and Chair of the OFA’s Farmer Wellness Initiative Advisory Committee. “We’ve always thought there needed to be something out there for people to help them.”

It was research started in 2015 by the University of Guelph’s Dr. Andria Jones-Bitton and Dr. Briana Hagen, Jones-Bitton’s PhD student at the time, that used data to establish the prevalence of conditions like depression, anxiety, stress, burnout and resilience (the ability to overcome obstacles and challenges) in the farming community. The research showed that farmers were experiencing high levels of stress and depression, and burnout at levels higher than both the general population and other occupations.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) and the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) – Ontario Division launched Agriculture Wellness Ontario programs that currently include three free mental health supports for farmers and their families:

• Farmer Wellness Initiative – a free counselling service 24/7/365 in-person or on the phone by professional counsellors with agricultural backgrounds and training at 1-866-267-6255

• In the Know – a free four-hour mental health literacy training workshop developed at the University of Guelph by and for the agricultural community. IntheKnowOntario.ca

• The Guardian Network – a community-based volunteer suicide prevention program, at GuardianNetwork.ca

Results from the 2021 University of Guelph survey of farmer mental health, for example, clearly illustrate the ongoing need for mental health supports in the agriculture sector, including impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic:

• 20% of farmers reported moderate to severe anxiety disorders – significantly higher than the Canadian general population during COVID-19

• 20% of farmers reported moderate to severe depressive disorders – significantly lower than the Canadian general population during COVID-19

• 1 in 4 farmers felt their life was not worth living, wished they were dead or thought of suicide in the last year – that’s over 2x higher than the general population

The Healthy Minds, Healthy Farms report, released in 2020, found similar evidence, with 76% of farmers classified with moderate or high stress scores. Three out of four Canadian farmers indicated being moderately to highly stressed about unpredictable interference, workload pressures and lack of time, and financial pressures. Women were more likely to report high stress, and younger farmers both showed signs of higher stress and were found to generally be less effective at coping with it.

A successful 2019 pilot program designed to build mental health knowledge and increase help-seeking among farmers led to a province-wide mental health literacy program called In the Know

A partnership between OFA, CMHA-Ontario Division and the University of Guelph, each half-day training session promotes mental health awareness and literacy to raise people’s comfort levels with recognizing and understanding the symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression and starting conversations around those topics if the need arises.

The Farmer Wellness Initiative is also a partnership between CMHA-Ontario Division and OFA, and is funded by the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.

Its cornerstone is a confidential telehealth helpline that provides free counselling services to farmers and their families virtually, in-person or on the phone by professional counsellors with agricultural backgrounds and training, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in English and French, as well as up to 30 other languages.

The Farmer Wellness Initiative website, www. farmerwellnessinitiative.ca, answers frequently asked questions and explains how to use the free service.

“Pick up has been good; it is meeting a need,” says Buttar. “I’m amazed at the number of calls that come in between midnight and 4 am but that’s what this service is for: to be there when people need help, available any time day or night.”

The third program, also involving CMHA-Ontario Division and OFA with federal and provincial government funding, is called the Guardian Network It’s a volunteer suicide prevention program for the Ontario farming community that is based on the award-winning AGIR en Sentinelle pour la prévention du suicide program created by the Association québécoise de prévention du suicide (Suicide Prevention Association of Québec) and the Union of Agriculture Producers in Québec.

According to Buttar, the biggest roadblock so far has been making sure the agricultural community knows these new services and programs are available, and that they can help with a broad range of issues, not just farm-related matters. That includes financial pressures; health concerns; depression; troubles with family, friends, partners or spouses; feelings of stress or burn-out; bullying, trauma, abuse and other issues requiring support.

“It’s very important to have that support, and the biggest problem is making sure people are aware it’s out there,” he adds. “If you’re aware that there is someone that needs help, spread the word.”

More information about mental health supports for farmers and farm families are available at: www.agriculturewellnessontario.ca.

OFVC is proud to support mental health and well-being in the farm community. As part of OFVC 2023, we are offering two opportunities to support better wellness: In the Know Workshop, Tuesday, February 21, 1:005:00 pm, Room 207 and Stocking Your Mental Health, Thursday, February 23, 2:00 - 3:00 pm, Ballroom B.