Almost one in four Irish farmers at risk of suicide

More than half of farmers experienced symptoms of moderate to extreme depression in the past week

Those with a greater emotional attachment to their farms were also more likely to have poor mental well-being. Picture: iStock

Almost a quarter (23.4%) of Irish farmers are at risk of taking their own life, according to “stark” research figures released to coincide with Agri Mental Health Week.

The study, funded by the HSE’s National Office for Suicide Prevention, was conducted by University College Dublin’s School of Agriculture and Food Science and is based on a series of 10 one-to-one interviews with farmers, four focus groups, including one with industry professionals who deal directly with farmers, and a national survey carried out within the last four months.

A total of 256 farmers aged between 21 to 70 years took part in the survey, across a variety of farm types and sizes.

Of those who responded, 55.5% indicated that, within the last week, they had experienced symptoms of moderate to extreme depression. 44.1% said they had experienced symptoms of moderate to extremely severe anxiety, and 37.9% reported symptoms of moderate to extreme stress.

Lead authors Tomás Russell, assistant professor in agricultural extension and innovation, and Alison Stapleton said participants rated government policies designed to reduce climate change, outsiders not understanding farming and concern over the future of the farm as the most stressful aspects of farming.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Mr Russell explained: “On the climate change side of things, it’s not the policies themselves; it’s the fact that farmers are feeling that these policies have been imposed on them, and they’ve had no voice in terms of the development or implementation of them.

“The big word that came out of the qualitative interviews was ‘scapegoated’ — that came through strongly and repeatedly. We had a lot of farmers feeling angry that they feel that they don’t have a voice — and farmers also feeling very angry with themselves, saying, ‘I’m angry, that I didn’t stand up and talk. I don’t feel that my voice has been adequately heard in this debate’.”

Interestingly, the quantitative results also showed that those with a greater emotional attachment to their farms were also more likely to have poor mental well-being.

“The other thing that was coming through was this love for the land — or land on the mind,” Mr Russell said. “A lot of farmers say their life is spent either on their farm or thinking about their farm — at night, in the house, in bed. So anything that threatens that farm or threatens that identity will have an impact on mental wellbeing.

“The more farmers think about their land, the more they get consumed by it. And when it’s threatened - whether it’s by climate policies or succession — it can be critical to their mental well-being.”

He advised those feeling down to reach out to someone urgently. “It could be within your community, within your friend group and to the services that are out there.

“Even within the industry, there is a huge awareness – whether it’s your advisor or the local co-op. There are people willing to listen.”

If you have been affected by this article or the conditions described in this article, take the first step and visit aware.ie for support.