I have suffered bouts of depression and thoughts of suicide since my only son Elliot committed suicide twenty years ago at the age of 20. As is common in such cases, I had no idea that Elliot was suffering from mental illness and that he was contemplating suicide.
The most common mental health problem is depression, which one in five members of the public will experience at some point in their lives. There are major differences between feeling low and clinical depression. When the latter develops the person can be affected most of the time, frequently for a number of weeks or months. Symptoms can include tiredness, restlessness, low mood, falling energy levels, poor concentration, a lack of interest in things that would normally give pleasure and suicidal thoughts.
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The condition is very treatable and most people will make a full recovery. The key to a successful outcome is to recognise when you or someone you know is ill and accessing the right support as soon as possible. Unfortunately, most struggle on and "get by", while sadly a growing number end up taking their own lives.
With a shocking number of fatalities each year, farming is now classed as the most dangerous occupation in the UK. Stress is often a key factor in many of the accidents, injuries and illnesses taking place on farms. Meanwhile, levels of depression are thought to be increasing and suicide rates in farmers are among the highest in any occupational group.
The exact numbers for farmer suicides is difficult to determine because farmer deaths are often reported as hunting, equipment or farming accidents instead of suicides. Access to highly lethal means - firearms, ropes, poisons, machinery - result in a large proportion of fatal suicide attempts.
It's reckoned that every year around 600 French farmers make the decision to end their lives, Germany has a minimum of 500 farmer suicides a year, while Belgium suffers at least 400. It is estimated that in the last 20 years 300,000 farmers in India have ended their lives by ingesting pesticides or hanging themselves - currently more than 50 every day.
Against that background, Aarun Naik used a Nuffield Farming Scholarship to travel and study different approaches being taken to combat the problem. His report, "Supporting farmer wellbeing: addressing mental health in agriculture and horticulture" makes interesting reading.
Mr Naik found that approaches to address the issue were focussed in a number of key areas such as conducting research and gathering meaningful, practical data; raising awareness of mental health amongst farming communities and those in the wider farming supply chain; developing support services and facilities appropriate to the farmer population; promotion of skills and strategies that support healthy behaviour.
Running through all of these approaches was the importance of reducing stigma in order to normalise the issue so that choosing to seek help becomes easier. He found both Australia and New Zealand to be quite advanced in addressing rural and farmer mental health. Both countries were pioneering a number of innovative initiatives. Much of this had been achieved through a strategic approach which involved the support and collaboration of leading organisations within the agricultural sector.
Mr Naik says in his report: "The findings from my study tour suggest the UK would benefit from more research and gathering of practical data on farmer mental health. This would help to further develop the evidence base in the area as well as help guide approaches to address the issue.
"There is scope for leading farming organisations to play a more active role in imparting pro-active, preventative messages. UK farming would also benefit from a dedicated, farmer-specific, educational initiative on wellbeing. This should be preventative-focussed and concentrate on promoting practical steps farmers can put in place to help them manage everyday stresses and pressures of farming.
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"It is important to accelerate efforts to up-skill frontline rural professionals to mental health awareness. Structured training can be used to develop their ability to spot warning signs of distress and improve their knowledge and confidence of how to respond appropriately. Facilitating farmer champions to develop their profile and publicly speak out about mental health will help to raise awareness of the issue, break down stigma and highlight available support services."
For the farming community, GPs are often the first port of call for people with depression. Many rural GPs are acutely aware of the problem and are both willing and able to help. From my own experience I know that, although it doesn't necessarily make it go away, talking with someone who understands me and understands depression has made it easier - a little easier - to live with.
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