Farming Poll 2016: One in five rural people have experience of depression

Almost one in five people in rural areas said they had experienced depression, whether directly or through a family member.

The Irish Examiner / ICMSA poll also found that 8% said they or an immediate family member had some experience regarding suicide.

Female respondents, at 23%, were more likely to say they had experience of depression than men, at 16%, while those aged between 35 and 44 was the group with the highest percentage of those who said they or a family member had experience of depression. Dairy farmers and those in other sectors of agriculture but not tillage and livestock also had the highest percentage of people saying they had experience of depression.