Family help vital to helping farmers deal with high stressors such as bad weather

Family and social support are among the important buffers to impact of high stress suffered by farmers during long spells of bad weather such as the past spring or other stress inducers in agriculture.

That's among the findings in new research funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine that was presented at the 2024 BeSafe Conference last week.

Dr Diana Van Doorn, Teagasc Research Officer (Safe Habitus) explored the impact of stress on farmers’ wellbeing.

"While extensive research in Ireland and internationally shows that farmers often experience stress, there has been limited investigation into its impact on their overall wellbeing. Our research clearly indicates that frequent stress does not automatically result in poor wellbeing for farmers.

"The wellbeing of many farmers is maintained even though they experienced stress ‘to some extent’. We did find that high stress is associated with lower wellbeing scores, but it does not invariably lead to poor wellbeing. These findings point to the importance of supportive factors such as family and social support, coping mechanisms and personal resilience, which buffer the effects of stress on wellbeing,” she said.

Data that was collected from 754 livestock farmers in 2018, when there was a prolonged period of extreme weather events, showed that 111, or 15%, were assessed to have ‘poor’ wellbeing. Of this group, 13 farmers (12%) experienced stress ‘all of the time’ whilst a further 18% experienced stress ‘often’. Detailed analysis of 199 dairy farmers, a group that are known to experience a higher number of stressors, found that in 2018, 61 (31%) recorded ‘below average’ or ‘poor’ wellbeing. Of this group, 7 (11%) experienced stress often or very often.

One year later, when conditions for dairy farmers had improved, the survey was repeated with the exact same group of farmers and found that 56 (28%) recorded ‘below average’ or ‘poor’ wellbeing, whilst the number who experienced stress often or very often was the same as 12 months previously.

Dr David Meredith, Teagasc researcher and leader of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine BeSafe project, highlighted the critical implications of this research for policymakers and industry bodies.

"Firstly, our analysis shows that not all farmers experience stress. Secondly, stress levels among farmers changes over time, meaning that current stress does not guarantee future stress.

“Most importantly, the research clearly demonstrates that focusing on stress means that we ignore really important and positive factors associated with being a farmer that protect mental health,” he said.

Professor Pat Dillon, Director of Research at Teagasc, noted the significance of these results for Teagasc's strategic goals and initiatives aimed at improving farmers' living standards and wellbeing.

"As an organisation, we are committed to improving the quality of life and wellbeing of farmers.

“We do this by undertaking research that supports the development of practical solutions to challenges faced by farmers. To support farmers effectively, we need evidence that identifies and addresses the specific causes of stress, such as coping with extreme weather events, navigating administrative processes, and enhancing management skills through education and training," he said.

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Martin Heydon has responsibility for farm safety.

“Awareness around the importance of positive mental health is increasing across society including amongst farmers. I strongly believe that farmer wellbeing is inextricably linked to farm safety, because a busy or distracted mind cannot be fully focused on the task at hand,” he said.

Minister Heydon added: “Building on the BeSafe project funded by my Department, I am committed to funding further research and supports in the area of farmer health and wellbeing. My Department is currently implementing a number of initiatives in this area, including the expanded On Feirm Ground 2 programme,” he said.

The 2024 BeSafe Conference, held at Teagasc Ashtown, brought together experts and stakeholders to discuss and advance research focused on farmers' safety and wellbeing. 

The project involves researchers from Teagasc, Galway University and University College Dublin who were funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.