Mental health status of Farmers in Maharashtra, India: A study from farmer suicide prone area of Vidarbha region

Abstract

Background: In India according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data 1, 31,666 people committed suicide and out of this 12,360 were farmers committed in 2014. When the suicide rate increases in a particular group in society, it is often an indicator that there are factors in the general environment which are placing selective pressure on the group in question. The present study examines the mental health status of Farmers in Maharashtra, India. Methods: The cross-sectional study design was adopted to conduct this study. Three hundred (300) Household were selected for this study. The sample size was distributed proportionately in each village using Probability Proportional to size (PPS) sampling method. Households were stratified based on the loan amount to ensure that all types of borrower-farmers were included in the sample. The loan amounts were classified into three categories: up to Rs. 30,000, Rs. 31,000 to Rs. 60,000, and more than Rs. 60,000. Univariate, Bivariate and logistic regression analysis have been conducted. Results: More than half 58%of farmers have reported distress of mental health and 41.7% farmers were reported no distress of mental health in last two weeks. Mean of the mental health status of farmers is 0.58, and standard deviation (SD) is 0.49.The most commonly reported symptoms of mental health relate to anxiety and insomnia, with 55% of farmers suffering from this symptoms. The second highest ranking prevalence of symptoms is somatic problems (34.7%). Conclusion:The immediate clinical and non-clinical interventions should be initiated to mitigate the suicides among the farmers.

Farmer’s mental health and well-being: Qualitative findings on protective factors

“…[ 6 ] The mental health issues faced by farmers in India are influenced by several compounding factors, including shifts in lifestyle, fluctuating income, crop failures, natural disasters such as droughts and floods, economic crises, unemployment, limited social support, and growing insecurity. [ 7 ]…”

“…[ 13 ] Numerous studies conducted on mental health within farming communities worldwide have highlighted several risk factors that are both common and specific to this community; these factors encompass elements such as financial debt, government regulations, conflicting roles, volatile commodity prices, demanding and strenuous labor, the impact of climate change, and substandard living conditions. [ 2 , 7 , 9 , 13 - 20 ]…”

Occupational risk factors and associated stress level among coffee plantation workers of Kodagu District, Karnataka, India

“…Farmers who experience psychological discomfort are significantly correlated with socioeconomic circumstances. 8 The stress experienced by plantation workers can be directly linked to their work, and it is becoming worse in recent years. Ignoring stress can also lead to suicide, as stressors can make a person feel hopeless.…”