By Greg Nikkel
Maintaining good mental health, and talking about mental health issues, is important for farmers as well as in other walks of life, and producers have the resource of the Farm Stress Line to provide help when it’s needed.
A presentation on mental health in agriculture was one of a number of information sessions presented as part of Ag Expo, held on Thursday at McKenna Hall. A trade show was held in the upper hall, with around 30 organizations and businesses showcasing their information, and a series of speakers made presentations in the lower hall, covering topics such as an economic outlook for the ag industry, and the use of drones in farming.
The presentation on mental health was made by Kim Keller, a co-founder of Women in Ag, and Jan Thorson of the Farm Stress Line.
The results of a survey of farmers by the University of Guelph was presented, showing that 37 per cent of farmers live with depression, 45 per cent live with stress on a daily basis, and 40 per cent indicated they would not seek help for mental health problems.
“The number that concerns me the most is 40 per cent don’t want to seek help, because they’re afraid of repercussions in the local community,” said Keller.
Thorson has a background in mental health, and one of her activities has been teaching suicide intervention to RCMP cadets in Regina. She said this is important because about 13 out of 100,000 RCMP officers will commit suicide, and “that’s way too high.”
Thorson said mental health is something everyone has, as it “is how we feel, how we see the world. Mental illness is like heart disease. Not everyone has it.”
Explaining what the Farm Stress Line is and the purpose of it, Thorson said it is manned by volunteers 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so when someone calls, “one of the staff will answer and will let you determine where the conversation will go. We’ll do what we can to draw you out.”
The staff have found the best approach is often the direct one, and questions are asked such as, “are you depressed?” or “Do you feel like killing yourself?”
All calls are confidential, said Thorson, “unless you indicate you’re going to harm yourself or someone else, then we’ll try to reach you.”
Asked if anyone follows up on someone who calls the line, Thorson replied, “No, you have to contact us. We have access to resources all over the province, so where ever you’re calling from, we can steer you to the right place.”
One of the barriers to people calling is the stigma that is attached to mental health issues, said Thorson.
“A lot of people feel strongly they’ll be judged if they come forward, but that’s not my experience. I don’t think it should be a real barrier to service,” said Thorson, adding that distance or remoteness should also not be a barrier, and urged people to give them a call if they need someone to talk to.
She also noted that the University of Regina has an on-line counseling service, and if people have the opportunity to be in the city, they can drop in to the Farm Stress Line office in Regina and talk to someone directly.
Thorson also provided advice for a friend or family member to break down barriers in order to talk to someone who needs help.
“I think the best thing to do is ask people how they’re feeling. We ask people that every day, but we never really take the time to listen to the answer,” said Thorson.
She related speaking at a high school where mental health issues had been raised, and she emceed an assembly with three students who were willing to talk about their struggles.
“It opened the floodgates at that school, and they started talking with each other, and they started support groups to help each other,” said Thorson.
There are signs that people could watch for or take note of in their friends that indicate there are mental health issues that need to be talked about, such as changes in behaviour, or emotional reactions to things they don’t normally react to.
“If you notice changes or behaviours that are out of the ordinary, ask them what’s wrong. You’ll be surprised how they answer,” said Thorson. “I’ve talked to hundreds of people who considered suicide, and I’ve never talked to anyone who actually wants to die. They’re in pain and don’t know what to do. Call us, 24 hours a day, if you’re not sure what to do, and we’ll help you work out something to get help.”
In farming, there is a lot of stress and anxiety, because there are a lot of factors that farmers have no control over, such as the weather, she said.
“You need to take care of yourself, eat well, get exercise, and talk about how you feel. Tell someone you trust, not about what happened but about how you feel,” said Thorson.
A lot of farmers have grown up with the sense they need to be tough and not express their feelings, not unlike police officers or even mental health professionals who see a lot of people with problems. The Farm Stress Line is anonymous, said Thorson, and “we’ll talk to you as long as you need us to. Don’t be afraid to reach out.”
