FARM BUSINESS

Feedback sought on mental health resource for farmers

RURAL farming communities face a complex range of factors which can impact their mental wellbeing compared to the general population in Australia.

Staff Writer
 Farmers can benefit from participating in a wellbeing resource review.  Image Mark Saunders.

Farmers can benefit from participating in a wellbeing resource review. Image Mark Saunders.

Farmers are known for their generosity toward others but are often reluctant to ask for help themselves.

The National Centre for Farmer Health has developed a wellbeing resource called ‘Steering Straight: My Plan to Keep on Track'. The resource has been developed in collaboration with farming communities and aims to help farmers look beyond the endless cycle of tasks to do, and help with reflection, planning for challenges, and preparing for action.

The Centre is now seeking participants from New South Wales to test and provide feedback on its resource. The review takes roughly 15 - 30 minutes and is followed up by a short phone interview about six weeks later.

The resource aims to help farmers develop a personalised and practical 'action plan' to help them to focus on what they can do in a challenging situation, rather than what not to do.

Participants can benefit from participating in the project by deepening an understanding of the factors impacting their health and wellbeing and finding out how to make changes to personal behaviours to improve their health and wellbeing.

The project received Deakin University ethics approval (reference number: 2020-232). If you can help us improve the wellbeing of our farming communities, contact Brittany Doolan (s223512135@deakin.edu.au) or call the National Centre for Farmer Health on (03) 5551 8533.

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