MENTAL well-being is to be the focus of a new year-long campaign by the Scottish Association of Young Farmers’ Clubs.
Launched at last weekend's Ayr Show, to coincide with the first day of the annual Mental Health Awareness Week, the “Are Ewe Okay?” campaign will encourage rural youth to listen, talk and share their experiences of mental and emotional health.
SAYFC’s national chairman Stuart Jamieson said: “One in four people in Scotland will suffer from poor mental health at some point during their life. Everyone has mental health, it can be good, it can be less than good but everyone’s mental health is different as well as constantly changing, depending on many different aspects.
“SAYFC has 3500 members who are aged between 14 and 30 years old, so there are so many different life events and pressures going on during this period that can influence how they feel, including education, relationships, employment, health and finance.”
But surveys have found that nine out of 10 young people facing poor mental health report that they receive frequent negative treatment from others as a result. Mr Jamieson said this revelation was key to the creation of the “Are Ewe Okay?” campaign.
“This statistic is one of the reasons SAYFC has chosen to encourage those all-important conversations and break the stigma surrounding mental wellbeing," he said. "It’s about looking out for each other by taking the time to listen, offering a situation where someone feels confident enough to talk or by sharing information to aid our members. Everyone can get involved by just asking “Are Ewe Okay?”."
The campaign will be delivered through social media, with the aim of specifically targeting the association's audience of young people living in Scotland's rural communities. By raising awareness of poor mental health triggers and conditions, the SAYFC hopes to give members the knowledge they need to recognise the signs of someone who is suffering, and know how to seek help.
Mr Jamieson highlighted that poor mental health was far more prevalent than people perhaps appreciated: “Scotland’s population continues to rise, reaching the highest ever total in 2014 with the National Records of Scotland estimating a population of over 5.3 million. We already know that one in four people in Scotland will suffer from poor mental health, so to put it into context, more than 1.3 million individuals in Scotland will face mental health challenges during their lifetime.
"And at SAYFC, 25% of our membership equates to over 800 members. It is therefore more vital than ever that we raise awareness showcasing the help and support available, whilst highlighting how others share the same mental health challenges.”
You can follow the campaign and pledge support via the SAYFC website at http://www.sayfc.org/are-ewe-okay or keep up-to-date via social media using the #AreEweOkay?
For in-depth news and views on Scottish agriculture, see this Friday’s issue of The Scottish Farmer or visit www.thescottishfarmer.co.uk
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