Suchergebnisse

AbstractFarming is a stressful occupation with many farmers facing daily uncertainty and high mental health risks. In addition to unpredictable occupations, rapidly changing European and Irish agricultural policies may put farmers in a liminal state. We aimed to identify sources of occupational stress or well‐being for Irish farmers, particularly regarding change in their lives and communities. We collected data online through semistructured interviews with 17 farmers and 1 interview and 3 focus groups with 11 farming stakeholders. We identified four central narratives (N1‐4) through narrative analysis. In N1, participants described how rapid changes could create stress by exacerbating uncertainty and threatening farmers' financial security. Participants described how these changes to standards for "good farming" (N2) and rural culture (N3) result in lost income, identity, and well‐being. In N4, participants identified ways in which work of farming can be therapeutic. Our findings add to literature on the impacts of uncertainty and liminality on farmers by identifying how deeply changes in agricultural models can impact farmers' identities and well‐being as they grapple with new and old occupational pressures. We suggest that economic policy and agricultural governance prioritize farmers' financial security and mental health through policy change and acknowledge their valuable contributions.

AbstractFarmers face significant mental health issues, including depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. Additionally, rural populations widely endorse stoic values which can be a barrier to farmers' help‐seeking. In this study, we identified sociocultural barriers and facilitators to Irish farmers' mental health help‐seeking. We conducted 17 semi‐structured interviews with Irish farmers and three focus groups and one interview with farming stakeholders in Ireland online. Interviews and focus groups followed a conversational, semi‐structured schedule concerning Irish farmers' help‐seeking beliefs and behaviours, and were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. We identified three central barriers to farmers' help‐seeking: resilience, pride in being a 'good farmer' and help‐seeking stigma. We also identified one central barrier/facilitator: slowly increasing mental health awareness. Across all themes, participants described Irish farmers of all genders, particularly older men, as suffering from a self‐reliant cycle of masculine stoicism. Our findings add to the growing 'good farmer' literature by illustrating how farmers' health practices can be both a source of social capital and a detriment to their own health and help‐seeking.