“An Incredible Amount of Stress before You Even Put a Shovel in the Ground”: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Farming Stressors in Canada

Abstract

Farming is widely regarded as a highly stressful occupation, and many farming stressors have been studied globally. Research on farming stressors in Canada is scarce, yet there is some indication that Canadian farmers have high perceived stress scores and score more severely across mental health outcomes compared to the general population. This study provides a comprehensive exploration of farming stressors in Canada with the aim to inform avenues to reduce stress and/or boost the well-being of farmers. An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was used. First, qualitative data were collected from 75 in-depth interviews with farmers and industry professionals from Ontario, Canada from 2017 to 2018. These data were then used to inform items measuring self-reported stress across 12 farming stressors in a national cross-sectional survey of farmers’ mental health conducted February–May 2021. Results from both data sources provide an initial understanding of the episodic and chronic stressors faced by farmers in Canada, and the context within which these stressors are experienced. Implications and focus areas for stress reduction and well-being promotion are discussed in this paper.

Tractors, Talk, Mindset, Mantras, Detachment, and Distraction: A Mixed-Methods Investigation of Coping Strategies Used by Farmers in Canada

“…Coping among farmers is most often measured quantitatively, using coping scales developed for the general population (e.g., [15,30]). However, what would be useful is the knowledge of how farmers use coping strategies within the farming context of having little downtime, high workload, high unpredictability, and little control over many factors impacting their production [31], as avenues to improve coping with stress are not developed within these occupational constraints. Farmers may benefit from learning what strategies work for others, and future avenues to reduce stress and improve well-being among farmers may benefit from understanding how existing coping strategies have been successfully adapted for farming.…”

An Evidence-Based Guide for Delivering Mental Healthcare Services in Farming Communities: A Qualitative Study of Providers’ Perspectives

“…Healthcare providers acknowledged that farmers constitute a unique subculture, largely because of the occupational demands of the agricultural industry [ 19 ], within rural areas [ 37 ]. Consequently, participants in our study recognized the necessity for a distinct approach to mental health service delivery to address their needs.…”

“…One particular rural sub-population at risk for poor physical and mental health is farmers. Agriculture is recognized as one of the most stressful occupations [ 19 ]. Not only must farmers endure daily stressors, such as long work hours, manual labor, and time pressure, but they also face factors beyond their control such as fluctuating market prices, environmental regulations, and extreme weather conditions [ 19 , 20 , 21 ].…”

“…Agriculture is recognized as one of the most stressful occupations [ 19 ]. Not only must farmers endure daily stressors, such as long work hours, manual labor, and time pressure, but they also face factors beyond their control such as fluctuating market prices, environmental regulations, and extreme weather conditions [ 19 , 20 , 21 ]. Farm stress has been linked to depression, anxiety, and burnout [ 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ], as well as suicide [ 26 ].…”

A Study to Assess Occupational Stress among the Farmers of Mahbubnagar District of Telangana, India

“…Unfortunately, little research has been done on suicide intervention and postvention practices for farmers, despite farmers being at high risk for suicide. However, given that social support and sense of belonging were found to be protective factors against depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation in farmers, increasing social connection, support, and a sense of belonging in farmers is an important intervention [9]. Though there are many factors cause stress to farming people the factors such as Financial stressors, Weather Stressors, Work Overload Stressors, Other People as Stressors, Farming Hassles were considered for the study.…”