Mental health is starting to get the attention it needs in agriculture, but the statistics continue to be worrying.
According to a 2018 study by the University of Guelph, 35 per cent of farmers meet the classification for depression, 58 per cent meet the classification for anxiety and 68 per cent are more susceptible to chronic stress than the general population. Agriculture has 20 to 30 per cent higher rates of suicide than any other occupation in Canada, and farmers are four times more likely to use a firearm to die by suicide than the general public.
In 2021, the University of Guelph conducted a second agriculture-specific mental health study and found that one in four Canadian producers felt their life was not worth living, wished they were dead, or had contemplated taking their own life in the past 12 months.
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“One out of four — that’s people in your circle,” said Megz Reynolds, executive director of the Do More Ag Foundation, during her “Building Resiliency Together” presentation at the Alberta Agronomy Update 2023 in early January.
Tackling mental health challenges in oneself or others can feel daunting. However, there are clear, actionable steps that one can do to support mental health, said Reynolds.
Normalize mental health
Just like physical health, everyone throughout their lives will go through phases of worse and better mental health. Unfortunately, the stigma attached to mental health — the false but lingering perception that those who suffer are “weak” — gets in the way of people seeking and accepting help. As an industry and as individuals, we must take strides toward normalizing and “universalizing” the concept of mental health.
Build understanding
Reynolds uses a traffic light model to describe mental health. A person who is in a green, healthy mental wellness zone can focus and take life’s challenges in stride, she explained. They have normal fluctuations in mood, confidence in self, and tend away from self-destructive behaviours. The green zone is where resiliency stems.
Without adequate care and attention, however, stresses can push anyone from a green zone toward the yellow, reactive phase; the orange, injured stage; or the red, ill phase. In the yellow phase, nervousness, irritability, sadness and feelings of overwhelm dominate. Orange, Reynolds said, is an increasingly unhealthy phase, where the person suffering needs intervention and support. Red is an acutely dangerous phase.
Often behavioural changes — such as withdrawal from activities, changes in socialization, sleep and eating patterns, or other areas — can indicate declining mental health. Unfortunately, however, we tend to normalize warning signs and see them as an individual’s traits or personal characteristics rather than the warnings they are, Reynolds said.
“We don’t see that restlessness or trouble focusing or quickness to react as … there’s something going on. We just say, ‘oh, that’s how Megz is, that’s her personality.’”
Ask, “What’s really going on?”
While only mental health professionals have the skills and training necessary to provide effective mental health therapy, anyone can help someone toward the first crucial steps of support, said Reynolds. That starts with identifying when there’s a problem.
If you’re concerned about someone’s mental health, get curious. Ask open-ended questions about how she or he is feeling and whether his or her stress is manageable. Validate his or her experience by listening well instead of trying to solve or fix things.
Seek out resources
Resources are a phone call or internet search away. Support can be delivered in person, over the phone or online, and much of it is available free of charge. Visit the Do More Ag Foundation for a full list of resources.
Support within your means
Because it is very easy to become burnt out providing support to someone suffering mental health challenges, create healthy boundaries, said Reynolds. That includes boundaries to personal space, emotions and thoughts; “stuff” and possessions; time and energy; and culture, religion and ethics.
“You can’t pour from an empty cup,” said Reynolds.
While it may feel selfish upholding boundaries that support your own mental health, Reynolds said boundaries are healthy and important for everyone.
“When you create boundaries, what you are doing is giving people around you the ability to do the same.”
Practice self-compassion
If you are worried about your own mental health, practice self-compassion and recognize that everyone suffers.
“What would you say to a friend who was going through the same crisis?” asked Reynolds.
She recommends using daily strategies that grow resilience and build coping skills. Practice deep breathing exercises, prayer or meditation, employ activities that force you to shift your thinking away from unhelpful thoughts, make simple, concrete choices like putting tape over a yield monitor or getting up and going for a short walk when stress gets too high. Practice forgiveness of others and of yourself.
“How do you take care of you to make sure … that you are starting from a place where you are in as tip-top shape as you could be?” asked Reynolds.
“It’s no different than hauling out the equipment prior to seeding or harvest — making sure that everything (within) your ability looks good and that there’s not a belt about to break or oils that haven’t been changed.”
You can also change the narrative. Negative self-talk is among the easiest patterns to fall into. When you catch yourself thinking negatively about yourself, actively shift to another direction of thought.
Additionally, try to reduce stress. While that is easier said than done, simple strategies can be effective. For example, when stresses build, write down the entire list of stressors including what is within and outside of your control. Then, actively cross off everything you can’t control. Taking control of the smaller list of controllable items can give you permission to release the uncontrollable items from your worry, said Reynolds.
Most importantly, seek help early when stresses build, your outlook darkens, or your burdens feel uncomfortably heavy.
“Earlier is always better,” said Reynolds.
