‘Farming is not Just an Occupation [but] a Whole Lifestyle’: A Qualitative Examination of Lifestyle and Cultural Factors Affecting Mental Health Help‐Seeking in Australian Farmers

Abstract

The aim of this study was to understand the ‘farming life’ factors that affect the mental health help‐seeking of farmers. Semi‐structured interviews were completed with 10 farmers, 10 farmers’ partners, and eight General Practitioners (GPs), covering mental health help‐seeking. Interview data were then analysed using thematic analysis resulting in three themes: Lifestyle and culture, farming priorities, and the challenges of farming. The findings showed that the lifestyle and culture of farming values traits such as stoicism and self‐reliance, which is ingrained in farmers’ identities and appears antithetical to mental health help‐seeking. The farming priorities theme highlighted that farmers are time‐poor and believe mental health help‐seeking to be time‐consuming and an interference to their work, which is their primary priority. Lastly, this research revealed that farming challenges, such as financial volatility, increase the need for help, but can also reduce the ability to seek help. Implications of the findings highlight a need to carefully engage with farming cultures more broadly when seeking to support the mental health of the farming community.

The Family Farming Culture of Dairy Farmers: A Case‐Study of the Illawarra Region, New South Wales

“…Partly due to this deep meaning, many farmers find enchanting qualities (e.g., joy and wonder) in everyday agricultural practices (Gosnell et al 2019). Overall, relevant literature strongly suggests that in Australia culture and lifestyle to a large extent defines farming life (e.g., see Vayro et al [2019]). Farming is not just to maximise profit, but also to preserve a certain type of lifestyle.…”

“…[2017]), and other studies emphasising cultural change and the decline of traditional farming culture (Kuehne 2013; Vayro et al . 2019). However, research on how cultural factors and business strategies have become nested within each other is rare.…”

“…Overall, relevant literature strongly suggests that in Australia culture and lifestyle to a large extent defines farming life (e.g., see Vayro et al . [2019]). Farming is not just to maximise profit, but also to preserve a certain type of lifestyle.…”

“…For example, Wästfelt and Zhang (2016) indicated that there is still limited theoretical and empirical knowledge regarding how the multiple forces over the past decades have impacted farming operation and cultures. There have been studies emphasising farming techniques and livelihood strategies (e.g., see Alston et al [2017]), and other studies emphasising cultural change and the decline of traditional farming culture (Kuehne 2013;Vayro et al 2019). However, research on how cultural factors and business strategies have become nested within each other is rare.…”

A Multimodal Stress-Prevention Program Supplemented by Telephone-Coaching Sessions to Reduce Perceived Stress among German Farmers: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Studies on the mental well-being of self-employed persons report that, among the different types of self-employment, farmers are those with the poorest average mental well-being [ 9 , 10 ]. Stressors result from the nature of their profession and the context in which it is conducted [ 11 ]. Although most of these studies were carried out outside Europe, and no corresponding studies from German-speaking countries are available [ 8 ], most of the identified stressors are probably common to farmers around the world.…”