The mental health of farmers is getting more attention these days, but the situation in Alberta isn’t well understood and there are big gaps in support, says a provincial researcher.
A landmark study done by the University of Guelph six years ago revealed that many farmers suffer mental-health issues, said Rebecca Purc-Stephenson, a research associate at the Centre for Sustainable Rural Communities in Camrose.
“They found that their levels of mental health were much poorer than what you would expect in the general population and their occupations,” said Purc-Stephenson, a University of Alberta professor who teaches at Augustana Campus in Camrose.
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“About 35 per cent of farmers met the classification for depression. About 58 per cent of farmers met the classification for anxiety, and 58 per cent of farmers said they had experienced chronic stress.”
The 2015-16 University of Guelph study surveyed 1,100 producers across the country, but fewer than 100 were from Alberta, even though the province accounts for about one in five farms.
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“While it did give us a good snapshot of what is happening overall in Canada, we really wanted to dig deeper in Alberta among our farmers,” said Purc-Stephenson. “(It’s) really important for us to have more data on ourselves, so if there are initiatives that can be rolled out on a grand scale, that they can be adapted and tailored to our farmers’ needs here.”
She is working with a team of other researchers on a multi-pronged project that has received $525,000 in provincial and federal funding through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
“Our first study is replicating the study that was done a few years ago out of the University of Guelph and we are going to look at the stress levels, coping and mental health among our Albertan farmers,” she said.
“Part of our motivation for that also comes from research … the team found that one in four farmers felt their life was not worth living. They wished they were dead, or thought of taking their own life in the last 12 months.
“Those were really staggering statistics. We really want to do some work to curb that and help.”
The situation for Alberta producers is different than in a province such as Ontario, where a lot of research on farmer mental health has been conducted, said Purc-Stephenson.
In Ontario, producers often live within a half-hour drive from a city, but on the Prairies, an urban centre with mental health resources may be two or more hours away. And grain and cattle farming is often a solitary profession in the West as opposed to, for example, a vegetable farm where a producer is surrounded by people, she said.
“That sense of isolation is really different.”
There can also be different attitudes when it comes to seeking help. In Ontario, it appears more producers are receptive to services provided by government, while Alberta farmers may be more receptive to supports offered by commodity groups, said Purc-Stephenson.
She is the lead researcher for the Alberta Farm Mental Health Network, an initiative launched last year. The group’s new website, www.agknow.ca, has several resources for farmers, including mental health professionals who have experience working with farmers and who offer a free initial consultation.
“If they are looking for therapists and counsellors, we have them profiled,” said Purc-Stephenson. “We have networked with and reached out to people in the province who have agricultural backgrounds as therapists and counsellors, or they work with farm families.
“That’s really beneficial from the farm perspective. They know that they can talk to someone who gets them.”
The website (click on the Farmers tab) also allows people to do a self check if they have concerns that they or their loved ones may be in distress.
“We have tips, check-ins and hotlines in case farmers are at various stages of need, from just kind of wondering to being in crisis,” she said.
The group is developing materials for mental health literacy for farmers and the people who work with them.
The Alberta Farm Mental Health Network is also trying to connect with doctors in smaller communities who aren’t familiar with farming culture.
Researchers at the University of Guelph recently did a second survey and found the situation on many farms worsened during the pandemic, with 76 per cent of respondents saying they were experiencing moderate or high levels of stress.
In addition to COVID-19, the spiralling cost of inputs, extreme weather and the push to do more in terms of environmental sustainability have increased pressure on farmers.
“There are farmers who aren’t able to adjust very well, as they don’t have those supports available and they don’t have the resources available, and they find themselves in a downward spiral quickly,” said Purc-Stephenson.
Most farmers also fall into a group – white males between the ages of 35 and 64 – that has a higher rate of suicide, she added.
She will lead a second study to look specifically at livestock operations that had to abruptly downsize, something that happened last year during the drought and this year because of avian influenza.
“There is a lot of science that looks at what is the most humane and effective way to depopulate a farm, but there hasn’t been much that looks at what is the impact on humans involved,” she said.
“Our study will be interviewing farmers and vets and other people associated with the process who have lived experience.”
A third study will look at farm succession.
“Both depopulation and farm transition were identified in our needs assessment as things Alberta farmers really want to know about,” said Purc-Stephenson. “They need information on this. The stressors and coping study, farm transition and depopulation are really our key focuses. We’ll be advertising that widely in the new year.”
