NSW Farmers' Mental Health Network
The Problem
The severe and in many cases ongoing drought has highlighted a range of problems with the current mental health conditions and services across rural and remote NSW. The NSW Farmers Association Drought Summit held in Parkes in May 2005 exposed the significant and widespread emotional impacts of drought, with keynote speaker Jeff Kennett (Chairman, beyondblue) urging the 2000 farmers in attendance to speak openly about the stresses of drought. The willingness of farmers to stand up in this very public form and discuss their fears and anxieties about the personal, family and business impacts of drought marked somewhat of a turning point for rural communities in terms of acknowledging and seeking to address the growing problem of mental illness.
The emotional stress from the lingering drought is impacting not only farmers, but also their families, communities and even the drought support services themselves. Whilst the drought may have a limited life span, its ramifications such as depression, financial hardship, and loss will continue for many years.
But even in times outside of drought, farmers’ stress levels are rising, due to the changing nature of farming (eg globalisation, restructuring, the ageing farmer population) and the prevalence of increasingly restrictive legislation affecting day-to-day farming activities (particularly native vegetation and Occupational Health and Safety).
Deaths from suicide of male farmers and farm workers are approximately double that of the Australian male population. There are also a significantly higher number of ‘accidents’ (eg death by firearm, car accidents) occurring in the bush, particularly in remote areas. Despite the disproportionately high levels of depression and other mental illnesses in rural and remote areas, communities in these areas continue to have poorer access to mental health support – a problem that must be addressed as a matter of urgency.
Finding Solutions
As part of a wider response to this worrying problem, NSW Farmers Association brought together a group of key stakeholders in the area of rural mental health, to discuss how best to work together to address rural and remote mental health issues. This forum, held in June 2005, resulted in the creation of a formal Rural Mental Health Network and a NSW Farmers Blueprint for Maintaining the Mental Health and Wellbeing of the People on NSW Farms (please click here for a pdf/printable version).
The Blueprint is a simplified summary of key issues that need to be addressed and the major actions that will be taken to be effective in addressing the Network’s identified rural mental health priorities. Each Network participant plays a different but connected role in addressing these priorities.
The Network has grown considerably since its inception, with more than 20 organisations now represented, including charitable organisations, support and research organisations, Government Agencies, and other associations (please click here for a full list of participants).
The Network meets quarterly to discuss collaborative actions as outlined in the Blueprint, as well as a range of policy issues associated with rural mental health, including lobbying for improved resources for rural mental health in NSW.
Network meetings also provide an opportunity to get a snapshot of regional conditions from the perspective of farmers, rural communities, support workers, small business etc. For example, at the February 2006 meeting, the Network heard that bushfires as well as drought had a major impact on rural communities over the summer. However, these shocking events also highlighted the resilience and generosity of rural communities, with fodder and cash donations flowing in from all corners of the state, on top of personal support from Rural Financial Counsellors, Drought Support Workers and the like.
Updates from previous meetings are available below:
Mental Health Information Sessions
Appropriately experienced organisations interested in developing, delivering and evaluating three-hour Mental Health Information Sessions for farmers and farming service providers in rural and remote NSW are invited to complete the attached Tender documentation. Completed applications should be submitted by 5pm Friday 4 July 2008. Click here for further information...
Priorities and Future Directions
Please click here for a brief history and overview of the Rural Mental Health Network, including its current priorities and future directions.
Further Information
If you wish to join the NSW Farmers Rural Mental Health Network or require further information, please contact NSW Farmers Association on 1300 794 000, (02) 8251 1700 or emailus@nswfarmers.org.au.
